


Izuku Midoriya and the Greatest Wizard

by XOs



Series: Boku no Wizarding Academia [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Aged-Down Character(s), Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Family, Friendship, Gen, Gryffindor, Hogwarts, Hogwarts House Sorting, Hogwarts House Sorting Ceremony, Hogwarts Houses, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff Common Room, Hufflepuff Harry Potter, Hufflepuff Pride, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Owls, Ravenclaw, School, Slytherin, The Sorting Hat, Wizards, omgiforgottotagbakugo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22284466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XOs/pseuds/XOs
Summary: Izuku Midoriya lived an ordinary life with his mother until on his 10th birthday, when he receives a mysterious letter to a school known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He explores an entirely new world with new friends and experiences, only to discover his own weighted importance to the Wizarding world. Izuku and his friends discover what it means to ascend about House prejudice in order to discover more about himself and his family...
Relationships: Bakugou Mitsuki & Midoriya Inko, Friendships - Relationship, Iida Tenya & Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya & Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako, Iida Tenya & Uraraka Ochako, Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako
Series: Boku no Wizarding Academia [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604056
Comments: 30
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I'm just posting this to try out a new Fic series that I've been feeling lately! I know I shouldn't be starting anymore Fics but I can't help it, aha! Anyway, this one took some setup! I took over 30 harry potter house quizzes to determine which houses the characters would be in and whew... that took time. Anyway, I started it because I saw a Harry Potter film recently and remembered how much I loved the world of Harry Potter and how cool it would be to have the characters of Hero Academia in it! It's a bit of a big project, since I want to follow the characters through their time at Hogwarts, but I'm hoping it will be a fun journey!
> 
> If any of you are interested, this is the website I used: 
> 
> https://www.gotoquiz.com/pottermore_sorting_quiz_all_possible_question
> 
> I got Gryffindor 68% and Slytherin 66%. I can't remember what the others were but I was the least Hufflepuff. Give it a go if you haven't already and let me know your results! If you've already taken the test, let me know your house anyway! If you also know your wand, feel free to share that, too! Mine is ebony, unicorn core and 10''!
> 
> Just as a quick note, I have moved character birthdays to be on par with Hogwarts dates. For example, Deku's birthday is originally on July 15th, but I've moved it to December 15th. The reason I did this was so that all the characters would be in the same year!

**Mrs Inko Midoriya was proud to say that she and her son were perfectly normal, thank you very much.** As a single mother to an ambitious young boy, she had adapted to a perfectly timed routine over the years that accommodated towards his education and happiness in the home, as well as her own working hours that helped the two of them survive in the comfortable flat she had managed to acquire over the years. At exactly six-thirty on a weekday, Inko would wake up and get ready, cook breakfast for herself and Izuku, before taking him to school at exactly seven-thirty, a time that was a little early but allowed for her to get to work at eight. She would finish work at four and collect Izuku afterwards, where she would then be able to drive him home and feed the pair of them a delicious dinner to finish the day with. In no part of Inko’s day to day patterns was the notion of ‘normalcy’ absent, nor did she desire for that to change.

Despite that, she could allow for exceptions. One of these was Izuku’s birthday, his eleventh, which the pair of them had been very excited about. It was his final year in elementary school, so he was nearly one of the “big boys” as she was always keen to tell him. That meant, this birthday had to be extra special, since it was his final birthday before he entered middle school. They had had a party yesterday, on Saturday, since a lot of people had more functions to attend on a Sunday, nor were they as motivated to lend the last day of the weekend before the weekday crashed in, full force, on the following Monday. Izuku’s birthday, of which mostly had a few scrap friends that didn’t even seem that invested in him, had left Inko to worry about the quality of her son’s birthday, and she yearned to make the actual day special for him, a memory that he could regard fondly in the future.

For that reason, she let him have a lie in. Creeping through the apartment, Inko intended to make herself a refreshing cup of tea. It was often the way she started the day, be it weekday or weekend, since the small traces of caffeine were enough to bring a small buzz thrumming through her bloodstream before work or other daily activities. She was shuffling along, minding her own business, when she noticed the simple, cream coloured letter sitting face-down on the welcome mat by the front door. For a moment, she hesitated. It was too early for the postman to have passed by on his daily rounds, although she found herself drawn towards it, like a moth to the flame. She stooped beside the letter, lifting it up and turning it over in her hands again and again.

Aside from the softness of the high-quality envelope, a thick creamy paper, the beautifully scrawled ink lettering on the front caught her attention. This wasn’t a handwriting that she recognised, which was unusual given that someone had gone to the effort to handwrite it, opposed to being typed out. What made her all the more curious was that it was addressed to her son, a _Mr I. Midoriya_. Of course, it couldn’t be addressed to her, since it was to a Mr Midoriya rather than a Mrs Midoriya, nor was it addressed to her late husband, for his name, Hisashi, started with a H and not an I. Of course, it could be a birthday letter to her beloved Izuku, but once more, the handwriting was unrecognisable. She couldn’t imagine who would send her eleven-year old son a letter since all the people he knew had attended his party. When she turned it over in her hands, she saw a stamped wax mark, deep red in colour and printed with a large, ornate letter ‘H’. For the briefest of seconds, Inko’s heart skipped a beat, the sudden anticipation that Hisashi had sent a letter to Izuku, congratulating him on his turning eleven. However, she knew that was completely stupid; Hisashi had been dead for nearly a decade. It would be impossible for him to be sending letters to their son.

She normally wouldn’t open any birthday letters addressed to Izuku, but today she found herself breaking the wax seal. It was folded into three segments, neatly and perfectly, with a swirled border curling at the corners. At the top was a strange emblem, four colours and four animals. Yellow and badger, green snake, blue eagle and red lion. She had never seen such a ridiculous coat of arms before. It was so strange she was tempted to believe it was it was fake. What stumped her even more was the very first sentence, written in bold as if acting like a title, despite the absolute stupidity of the words that bounced back at her.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry”. It was the second most absurd thing she had ever read, second only to the sentence that swiftly followed it. “Headmaster: Nezo (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)”. Inko almost scoffed out loud. What the fuck was a “Mugwump”? What in God’s name was this letter? And more importantly, _why_ was it addressed to her son?

 _Dear Mr Midoriya_ , the letter read.

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Shota Aizawa,_

_Deputy Headmaster_

Sure enough, when she peered back into the thick envelope, there was a second page that, once opened, was a list of peculiar items and books apparently associated with this mysterious Hogwarts School. She didn’t like this a single bit. In fact, Inko was a little frightened. What kind of psycho would attempt to play such a cruel hoax on a child, pretending that there was a magical school? Who was trying to lure her son away with the fabled pretence of witches and wizards? She didn’t bother juggling the weird names of the authors or the strange objects required- seriously, what school would require a set of glass or crystal phials? Breathing deeply, hands sweating, Inko shredded the letter and stomped to the kitchen, discarding the tattered remains and turning the kettle on. She was standing in her fluffy dressing gown, furiously with her arms folded, when she heard the mailbox click. Inko turned around, seeing a letter lying on their happy welcome mat. She wrinkled her nose in confusion; the mailman had already been and he had delivered that stupid fake letter. Never before had the mailman returned for seconds.

Inko poured her tea first and stirred it. She liked to add sugar and milk; she drank black tea, not green; and she would leave the teabag in for a little bit to brew. Not too long, though, otherwise it would stew. She used that time to cross the hallway and pick up the letter, encased in smooth paper with a neat scrawl on the front. Inko’s blood ran cold. She clutched the letter in between shaking fingers and turned it over to see the same wax seal. This time, she didn’t open it. Instead, she crossed to the nearest window and peered out the curtains, looking intently to see who may have pushed the letter through. There was no sign of anyone walking away from their house. She was just about to let the curtain twitch back into place when she saw a beautiful barn owl perched on their mailbox. She was rooted to the spot, staring at the animal, when its head swivelled towards her, black eyes locking with her own green ones. With a gasp, Inko fell away from the window. It wasn’t that she was afraid of owls, but the sentience in this particular owl’s face was unnerving. She scrambled away from the window and returned to the kitchen, throwing herself into a chair and taking deep breaths, warm cup of tea beside her.

Once she had calmed down some more, Inko opened the letter and read it. The exact same words were written on an identical letter, so similar that she had to check in the bin to confirm if the torn up remains of its predecessor were still there. Sure enough, it was the copy of a letter. But how had the sender known she had discarded the original? She had been standing in the hallway and the curtains had been closed, so unless they had been peering through her mailbox, there was no chance they could’ve seen her. Nervously, Inko glanced down the hallway. There was no sign of anyone watching her through the mailbox. It remained closed and blank. The letter was definitely strange and it worried her a lot, but Inko wasn’t quite sure whether she was going to contact the police about this. She didn’t tear it up this time; instead, she put it in the recycling pile, telling herself that that would be the last of it. Inko set to work making pancakes, letting the sizzling distract her from every strange thing that had happened that morning. She would sip her tea and had turned on the TV to watch the news, finding herself slightly disappointed that there was nothing about magical letter hoaxes.

The warmest part of her day was listening to the thundering of footsteps as Izuku raced down the stairs towards the smell of pancakes. Inko could always trust her son to be enthusiastic about pancakes, especially seeing as it was his birthday. She smiled to herself and focused on the flipping and the cooking, transferring them to plates. There was a strange pause of silence where she had expected Izuku to come racing into the room. Glancing around the kitchen, she couldn’t see her young son, much to her surprise.

“Izuku?” she called out, a little concerned but reluctant to leave food on the stove.

“Coming!” he replied, much to her relief.

For a moment, she had been worried. The strange letters had done nothing to console her and the thought of _anything_ happening to her son frightened her. Inko immediately settled down and turned her full attention to the food once she was sure Izuku was OK.

“Mum, Mum, I’m going to a wizard school!” she heard Izuku’s padding bare feet on the kitchen tiles, his voice loud and vibrant in the kitchen. “I’m a wizard, Mum!”

She didn’t really process what he was saying until she turned around and saw him waving that cursed letter around. Inko almost dropped the frying pan and spatula, and she almost lurched towards her son in a furied state when she noticed the second letter remained on the recycling pile. A _third_ letter had been sent?

“Izuku, give that to me,” she put on a stern voice.

“But it’s addressed to me,” he pouted, and she really pitied her adorable son, with his mop of curling hair and large eyes. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, you didn’t, but it’s a letter from someone who isn’t very nice, therefore you don’t want it,” she told him patiently. “Please give me the letter.”

“But…” he looked between Inko and the letter with a trembling lip and watering eyes, but he still gave it to her.

“Unfortunately, this letter isn’t true,” Inko said softly, guiding her son to his chair and settling a plate of pancakes in front of him. “Hogwarts School doesn’t exist, I’m afraid. It’s a nasty prank from a nasty person.”

“Really?” he played with his food, for once uninterested by pancakes.

“I’m sorry, Izuku,” she frowned and her heart really went out to him. “We’ll do whatever you want today, though, since it’s your birthday.”

That seemed to cheer him up more, because he nodded with a freckled smile and proceeded to shovel syrupy pancakes into his mouth. It made her smile to see him happy, so she tore up this third letter without opening it and chucked it straight in the recycling pile, determined to never see it again.

“You’ll have an orange juice, right?” she offered, approaching the fridge and he nodded vigorously, too happy to surely be truly sad about the discarded Hogwarts letter.

She was setting it in front of him when she heard the telltale click of the mailbox. Inko glanced at the open door leading to the hallway, although she couldn’t see the front door from this angle. She felt a light sweat appear on her body, but she couldn’t force herself to move towards the front door. Izuku was looking between her and the doorway, large eyes confused and questioning. Inko was about to convince herself that she hadn’t actually heard it, when the sound happened again, and then again, and then again.

“What’s that noise?” Izuku was staring at her.

“Stay here,” she told him, mothering instincts going wild as she approached the hallway and saw the mailbox spitting letter after letter, all of them addressed to her son.

Balling her hands into fists, Inko strode down the hallway and threw open the door, watching an owl fly away from the pavement nearby. There were more of them now, all different breeds, dotted down the pathway. However, there was no one dashing down the drive, shielding their face from her view. Only owls. She closed the door, feeling suddenly very cold. When she turned around, Izuku was standing at the doorway, holding his plate of pancakes but not taking a single bite.

“Are you OK, Mum?” he stared.

“Everything’s fine,” she blew out a breath. “Don’t worry, Izuku. Just go and eat your breakfast.”

Her young son hesitated for just a moment, as if he wanted to be able to help her, but then he meandered back into the kitchen, plate in hand. Inko closed the door, just as she heard a strange fluttering from the living room. Mouth dry, she walked in and saw letters pouring in through the fireplace. Stifling a scream, she rushed into the kitchen to where Izuku was seated patiently at the dinner table, watching her with an anxious round face. She turned just as the letter box began sputtering letters out once more, before rushing over to her son and grasping him by the wrist.

“Mum?”

“We have to leave,” she was trying her best not to panic, but she couldn’t help it. Not when her son was potentially in danger.

“Where are we going?” Izuku asked, showing the smallest amounts of resistance. Whilst Inko was proud that he wasn’t blindly believing anyone, she wanted him to be cooperating with her today of all days. She understand that he was afraid, but they didn’t have time.

“Coat on,” she whipped it from the cupboard, seeing her son’s eyes bulging as he took in the masses of letters that had begun to shoot out of the fireplace and letterbox like a machine gun.

Inko forced the coat around her son’s shoulders and hurried him towards the door, squinting against any letters that slapped into her face. It was like forcing her way through a snowstorm, grasping for the door handle and flinging it open, only to find no one on the other side of the door. Inko was vaguely aware that Izuku was crying out to her, his voice questioning and his fear evident as the pair of them stumbled out of the doorway and onto their driveway. Inko staggered to a halt and almost retreated immediately back indoors when she saw the car was entirely covered in owls, heads swivelling, eyes staring. She turned, holding on tightly to her tearful son’s hand, only to see the entire house was covered in owls. Her heart was hammering in her chest, because a new one would arrive and drop another one of those cursed letters. She had to escape, so she found herself rushing towards the car and waving her arms, sending the owls scattering across the lawn, hooting in mild irritation. Inko wasn’t normally so bossy but she had to force Izuku into the car before climbing into the driver’s seat and starting the ignition.

“Why are there owls everywhere?” Izuku was wiping panicked tears from his face, searching wildly around the room.

“I don’t know,” Inko replied through gritted teeth.

“Where are we going?” he pressed his hands and face to the window as she drove away, more owls flying out of reach of the car.

“Mitsuki’s,” Inko replied. “We’re going to Mitsuki’s and then we’re calling the police.”

His eyes were like saucers trained on her for the entire journey. Inko didn’t even sing along to the radio like she normally did. Her heart was beating too quickly and she feared for hers and her son’s lives. Only when she pulled up outside the Bakugo house did she feel like she had some chance of relaxing. Inko blew out a long, tired breath, before ushering her son from the car and holding his hand to the front door, of which she rang the bell once, then twice, before standing there, face flushed and foot tapping impatiently. Some part of her felt bad. After all, it was early, not even eight, so to wake Mitsuki and her family up now wasn’t entirely fair. At the same time, she needed a place of refuge, and Mitsuki was the only person Inko was sure could provide it.

Sure enough, the door opened, with Masaru Bakugo standing before them, adjusting his glasses sleepily and clothes hastily thrown on. Inko wasn’t sure how to present herself, but he seemed to read the atmosphere very quickly.

“Come in,” he stepped aside and let the pair of them in, before rushing off into the depths of his house.

Inko and Izuku stood in the centre of the room, unsure of what to do with themselves. She wanted to reassure him that everything was fine, but Inko couldn’t promise that. Instead, she kept to his side, waiting until the moment Mitsuki Bakugo bustled into the room in her dressing gown, hair rumbled from sleep.

“Inko?” she seemed ruffled and confused, although there was no animosity in her eyes. “Do you want tea?”

“I have to call the police,” Inko snapped into life, rifling in her coat pockets before muttering a curse under her breath. “I left my phone at the house. Mitsuki, can I-”

“What’s happening?” Mitsuki interrupted, although she wore a patient expression. “Take a seat, both of you.” Both Midoriya family members obeyed. “What’s happened, Inko?”

She took a moment to breathe, until she could compose a proper sentence. “I don’t really want Izuku to hear this, but… Mitsuki, I think someone’s trying to hurt my son.”

Izuku snapped his head towards her.

“What are you talking about?” Mitsuki sat down with her, tea forgotten.

“This letter arrived in the mail today- one that was absolute nonsense- and it was addressed to him,” Inko just wished Mitsuki would give her the phone, but explaining things would probably achieve that better. “The letters kept coming and coming, no matter how much I ignored them.”

“Letters to your son?” Mitsuki looked worried. “Were they threats?”

“I don’t know _what_ they were,” Inko hugged herself. “Some sort of fake school invite. I think someone wants him to… I don’t know. I think someone intends to hurt my boy.”

“A fake school invite?” Mitsuki looked like she was running things through her head.

“Yes, one about magic or something stupid like that,” Inko was beginning to lose her patience, her voice wearing with the rough edges of frustration. “Please, Mitsuki, let me use the phone. I think the police need to know.”

Mitsuki Bakugo rose from her spot on the sofa and crossed the living room, opening the bureau. Inko watched incredulously. Was she going to ignore her requests? Perhaps Mitsuki thought she was going crazy? Instead, the woman brought over an envelope and handed it to Inko. It was addressed to a Mr K. Bakugo.

“What is this?” Inko asked.

“Open it,” Mitsuki said.

Nervously, Inko opened it. The letter had already been opened previously, but inside was a near replica to the letter addressed to Izuku. She looked up at Mitsuki with only questions in her eyes.

“I’ll make that cup of tea,” Mitsuki told her. “And then I’ll give you a proper explanation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was a fun little read! I can't guarantee when I'll update it but it might be something I'll pop over to every two weeks or so! I loved writing it and I feel very happy about how this has turned out!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having some serious writer's block on my main Fic, _Enigma Code_ :/ I hate it when that happens, but I'm hoping I can get some proper material out for that Fic over this weekend. In the meantime, my brain was wired to writing some magical stuff I guess so have some more wizarding! This is a reminder of why I have multiple projects, aha. If I get writer's block I still need a place to escape to (writing), so I just start more Fics, oops.

**Ten minutes later, Inko was sat in the Bakugos living room, a hot cup of tea sitting on the coffee table in front her.** Funny, that it was called a coffee table, and yet they were drinking tea. It was the smallest things she was beginning to focus on now that she had begun to calm down. There were still a lot of questions running through her mind, but a part of her knew the answers were on the horizon. There was nothing she had to worry about. Of _course_ there was nothing she had to worry about. She did, however, feel guilty that she had riled up her son. Izuku was clutching his glass of orange juice, his eyes now dry but rimmed red from the phantom of tears. Inko wished she could comfort him, but she had no idea how, not when she herself had been so frazzled just moments ago. How could she instil confidence in her son when she herself had melted once under pressure?

“First things first, Hogwarts School exists,” Mitsuki said with a straight face.

Inko sat there waiting for her to burst out laughing, telling her it was all a silly joke. She didn’t. Mitsuki remained with her hands in her lap, as if waiting for Inko to try and deny her.

When she didn’t, Mitsuki continued. “That letter you’re holding is Katsuki’s. He got it on his eleventh birthday. You see, wizards, witches and magic all exist. The letter you received today was an acknowledgement from Hogwarts that Izuku is a wizard.”

Inko’s draw dropped whereas Izuku shot up in his seat. “I’m a wizard?”

Mitsuki’s mouth curved up into a smile. “You are indeed. I’m quite surprised, given that you don’t have a magical background, but it does happen relatively frequently. In fact, it happens a lot more now than it did about a century ago.”

“Are you trying to tell me that my son can do real magic tricks?” Inko rubbed her temples. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you. I thought you’d take this seriously.”

“I assure you that your son isn’t being threatened, Inko, and neither has mine,” Mitsuki reached out to touch her hand reassuringly. Inko was surprised that she didn’t jerk it away. “There’s an entire realm of magic out there that you never would’ve known existed had Izuku not possessed magical blood.”

“And this Hogwarts keeps sending me these letters?” Inko rubbed her jaw, looking back down at Katsuki’s.

“Yes, and they won’t stop until you’ve sent a reply,” Mitsuki said. “The choice, however, is Izuku’s. This is something he has to decide for himself, Inko.”

Inko looked worriedly at Izuku, who wore a look of surprise. He was only eleven. How was he supposed to decide whether a regular or magical school was appropriate for him? Did she even have the right to decide that?

“I myself went to Hogwarts,” Mitsuki continued. “So did Masaru. I can assure you that it’s perfectly safe for a student to study there and that it’s the perfect place to adapt to your own magical powers.”

Inko slumped on the sofa, holding her cup of tea in her hands. She didn’t want to send her son away to study magic instead of maths, spells instead of science and whatever else witches and wizards learnt about. At the same time, Mitsuki was correct; it was his decision. Alternatively, she would agree to let Izuku decide and Mitsuki would laugh at her for believing her hoax. Inko still wasn’t sure whether this whole Hogwarts stuff was bullshit.

“It’s perfectly fine for you to still be sceptical,” Mitsuki said. “I can only imagine that a Muggle would struggle to comprehend a whole school devoted to magic.”

“Muggle?” Inko echoed.

“Sorry, it’s how we refer to people with no magical background who possess no magical powers,” Mitsuki said. “Izuku’s Muggle born, since neither you nor Hisashi are magical.”

“I want to believe it’s not real,” Inko reached out and touched her son’s hair. “Perhaps I’m dreaming?”

“It must be weird for you,” Mitsuki frowned. “I don’t know how else to convince you other than taking you to Diagon Alley for a school equipment shopping trip, although that would involve Izuku making a decision.”

“I have to choose to be a wizard?” Izuku looked clueless.

“Not quite,” Mitsuki told him. “You’ll always be a wizard, but it’s your choice whether you want to learn magic or not.”

“I’d be like Superman if I could do magical things,” Izuku bunched his hands into fists and grinned excitedly. “Right, Mum?”

Inko offered him a shaky smile. “Yes.”

“I want to be a wizard!” Izuku grinned from ear to ear, bouncing in the seat. “Can I got to Hogwarts?”

Mitsuki glanced at Inko, who held back her tears and inhaled deeply. After she offered her son a shaky smile and nodded. She felt like she was signing her son away to someone else, but she knew Mitsuki was right. If this whole Hogwarts stuff was legitimate- and it seemed to be, since Mitsuki wasn’t backing down- then it was Izuku’s decision to make. Inko didn’t want to take away that opportunity from him, not when she herself wasn’t magical. A Muggle, as Mitsuki called it. She couldn’t hold her son back from that kind of life, not if it truly was real. A large part of her was still hoping she would wake up from a terrible dream, but it felt far too real to wake up at this point.

“You can go to Hogwarts,” Inko felt the words weighed more than just a simple nod. At that, Izuku cheered in his seat and even Mitsuki shared a smile at his enjoyment. It just felt a defeat to Inko, though, to give her son away so freely.

“Izuku, how about I go get Katsuki?” Mitsuki offered. “The pair of you can run along and do your own thing.”

Izuku brightened up even more, like a spotlight, although Inko couldn’t help but pity him. She was sure her son would call Katsuki Bakugo his best friend, although the other boy was nothing but rude to him. If it hadn’t been for her friendship with Mitsuki, Inko would’ve told Izuku to try and avoid Katsuki. Still, she wanted to do the real talk, to let Izuku have deaf ears to her real opinions, and Mitsuki seemed to have clued on to that. She watched as her friend disappeared into the recesses of her house.

“I’m really going to be a wizard,” Izuku beamed. “Isn’t that super cool?”

“Yes, of course it is,” Inko offered him a faint smile, wishing she could either wake up or turn back time.

She would move to a new country as soon as that letter came through the door, or she would tell Izuku that witches and wizards were bad, so that he could send a letter declining his position and be over with it. Inko couldn’t do that, though. She couldn’t crush Izuku’s enthusiasm and perhaps dreams of being a superhero like that. There was only one true path and that was to let Izuku go to this mythical “Hogwarts”.

When Mitsuki returned, she had Katsuki’s ear pinched between her fingers. The boy wore a snarl, but there was little he could do against the will of his mother. It was a little tough to watch Izuku bound over with excitement, only to have his ‘friend’ be forced to hang out with him. However, there wasn’t much she could do. The boys were ushered off into the backyard, regardless of how chilly it was and the door was closed. Masaru made no appearance, either. It was talking time.

“I can tell you’re not entirely convinced about this whole Hogwarts thing,” Mitsuki sighed.

“Of course not,” Inko clutched her cup tightly in her hands, looking down at her own reflection. “I can’t just give my boy away and pretend I believe in magic.”

Mitsuki reached forward and she tapped Katsuki’s acceptance letter, right on the headmaster’s name, Nezu. “He was Headmaster of Hogwarts when both Masaru and I attended. Izuku will be in good hands, I assure you. There are numerous powerful witches and wizards working at Hogwarts who ensure that generations and generations of students succeed at school and live on to be successful witches and wizards.”

“And where is this school?” Inko bit her lip.

“Scotland,” Mitsuki replied. “Protected by magical wards so that regular eyes can’t find it and that anyone who wishes to cause harm against children can’t reach them.”

“But Scotland is so far away,” Inko could feel her eyes welling up. “He would be boarding and I’m not sure Izuku would want to be away from home for that long.”

“You have to let him try,” Mitsuki said. “Hogwarts isn’t an end. If he hates it, he doesn’t have to complete seven years there, nor does his knowledge of the wizarding world have to be wiped. You’re free to know about magic, too, so long as it’s kept from the public. If Izuku doesn’t like Hogwarts and the magic world, he can return home and attend a regular secondary school, become an accountant. Those kinds of things.”

“And what about me?” Inko set her cup down and looked at her hands. “I know it’s selfish, but what if _I_ don’t want him to go?”

Mitsuki was silent for a moment, watching Inko carefully. “Is that what you really want, though?”

“I just want him to be happy,” Inko felt her lip trembling. “To live a good life, you know?”

“Then you’re a strong woman, and you’ll realise that the further Izuku goes, the stronger the both of you are,” Mitsuki explained. “I’m not supposed to use magic in the Muggle world without a license, but…”

Inko watched as she stood up and opened the bureau once more, using a key to lock up the back and pulled out a stick. It could’ve been any stick, one she had picked up from the ground, except the way she held it with some kind of care implied it was something greater. Mitsuki didn’t give it to her, but held it up for her to see.

“Thirteen inches, spruce wood,” she explained. “With a dragon heartstring core. This is the wand I got when I was eleven and I’ve had it for over twenty years now.”

“A wand?” Inko reached for it, but Mitsuki held it back.

“They can be quite temperamental in the wrong hands,” she said. “Especially if touched by someone with no magic. I can, however, give you a demonstration, so long as you don’t tell anyone I used magic in the Muggle world.”

Inko settled back in her seat. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Mitsuki cleared her throat, before balancing her wand in between her fingers, not unlike holding a chopstick. “ _Wingardium leviosa_.”

At first, it didn’t seem like anything had happened, but then Inko noticed the slight movement before her. Looking at the table, she watched as the letter addressed to Katsuki began to float right before her eyes. Her jaw dropped open as she watched it rise, higher and higher, until Mitsuki flicked her wand down and it fluttered back down onto the table.

“What was that?” Inko breathed, leaning towards the now still letter that lay, resting, on the table.

“It was a basic spell, one of the first a student will learn in Charms class,” Mitsuki returned her wand to the bureau. “Perhaps a little bit of proof that magic exists.”

Inko checked for strings on the paper, but there were none. It truly had floated. She had felt no breeze and the strange, steady rise compared to its loose fall was too uncanny to be a natural occurrence. What she had just witnessed was real magic. She couldn’t pretend didn’t exist anymore, not when she had seen it with her own two eyes. The incantation, the floating letter, the wand. Mitsuki was actually a witch, which meant that Izuku probably was a wizard if he had received a letter from Hogwarts.

“Izuku says he wants to go,” she picked up Katsuki’s letter. “But how do I respond? There doesn’t seem to be a return address.”

“An owl should’ve brought it to your house,” Mitsuki said. “Write a letter to Hogwarts to confirm that Izuku wants to go, along with his signature. The owl will take it back to Hogwarts.”

“There was a little bit more than one owl outside the house,” Inko said sheepishly.

“I suppose they’re trained to ensure Izuku has properly read the letter and intends to respond,” Mitsuki looked sympathetic. “They won’t leave until a letter is returned in their claws and they’re sent on their way, and it’s quite like a group mentality.”

“Do I need special paper?” Inko ran a hand through her hair. “An address? Where on Earth am I going to find the equipment Izuku needs for school? I have absolutely no idea where I’d begin.”

“It’s OK, Inko, I’m going to help you,” Mitsuki offered her an attempt at a calm smile. “Me and Masaru will make sure you and Izuku are adjusted to the Wizarding World for when his time at Hogwarts begins. In fact, we’ll take you and Izuku to Diagon Alley.”

It didn’t mean anything at the time. In fact, Inko was more grateful when Mitsuku brought Katsuki to the Midoriya house to collect the letters that had began to stack there. Each one was the same, and Inko made sure to keep one, so she knew what equipment and books were required. It was a long process and each time a new owl threatened to come near the house, Mitsuki yelled threats and frozen peas, up to the point when the house was spotless and Inko was finally able to write a reply. The three of them were huddled at the kitchen table- Katsuki moodily stood to one side, refusing to make eye contact with anyone- with Izuku chattering about how excited he was to be sending an acceptance to his acceptance letter. Once she sealed up the letter, simply addressed ‘Hogwarts’, no post stamp, Inko opened the window and offered the letter to the nearest owl, watching it get swept away by the wind.

She watched the owl get smaller and smaller, and realised with wet eyes that Izuku would be doing exactly the same thing in less than a year. It was stupid, but seeing the owl flying away was like seeing her son get snatched up by this world of magic. What would Hisashi say if he were still alive? She liked to believe he would be on her side, but a part of her knew that the occult had fascinated him. He would’ve excitedly urged Izuku to go to Hogwarts, no matter how saddening it was that their young son would be so far away.

The next nine months were a whirlwind for Inko. Izuku grew a full two inches, and the amount of magic Mitsuki and Masaru tried to expose them to was overwhelming. There was chocolate frogs, who bounced around and were delicious, with the faces of unknown witches and wizards appearing on collectible cards. Mitsuki would explain who each of them were, although the words and information would sail over her head. Izuku, on the other hand, would drink it up and his first card, one of a great wizard known as Toshinori Yagi, soon became the Wizard Superman. Inko found herself hear a lot about Mr Yagi over the year, so much so that she began to wonder if she had perhaps met the man. There were magical children’s fables that Mitsuki gave to Izuku, things to read and learn about the kinds of creatures that lived in the world. It was a basic education on the Wizarding World, one that would catch him up to where some other Muggle born children may be. All of this Inko nodded along with, holding onto the last moments of where her life with her son was perfectly normal.

This, however, is not a story about Mrs Inko Midoriya, who lived a perfectly ordinary life up until the 15th December 2019. Whilst she is a perfectly likeable character and has lived a rich and fulfilling life so far, it is actually her young son, Izuku Midoriya, who will be the main focus of the next seven years. At that present moment, he was bustling with joy with each day as he learnt more and more about witches and wizards and magic and fantastic beasts, and it made him all the happier that he was able to spend that time learning alongside the familiar face of Katsuki Bakugo, no matter how cold the other was towards him. The next seven years hold a wealth of experiences and memories for both boys, for which their names will be emblazoned in wizarding history for two very different reasons. Neither boy truly knows what’s in store for him, and neither of them had known they would be walking along the same fate a week ago- a day ago, even- until Inko had ran to Mitsuki Bakugo wanting help and desiring to call the police.

Izuku Midoriya was only a young boy, but he would soon be embarking on his journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The large world he had known had only just become larger and would continue the grow with each year that passed. But every story starts somewhere, and this one started with Inko’s reaction to the sudden expansion of the small bubble she had created around herself and Izuku. Now that the bubble has been popped, there is no going back, which Inko has realised even if Izuku does not care.

The first true day of Izuku’s new life began on the 10th August 2020. He woke up and looked at the moving card of Toshinori Yagi that he kept on his bedside table. At first, he was groggy, unable to convince himself to move, but then he remembered what was happening today. He leapt of bed and began to rapidly get dressed, his smile growing wider and wider with each passing moment.

Today, he was going to Diagon Alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this :3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was just vibing the other day when I received a comment on this Fic that was wondering what House Izuku would be in. My dumbass was like "Heh, just you wait until you read ahead!" and that's when it occurred me. _Y'all can't read ahead because I haven't posted the next chapter_. And then another revelation hit me: most people right now are hoarding toilet paper, but I'm just sitting here on top of six unpublished chapters, just keeping them to myself. And that's just for this Fic.
> 
> I'm not going to bulk publish, because that would be tonnes of reading in a day, and I know some of you would just inhale all six chapters in a single sitting like I did with the first season of Game of Thrones. I am, however, aware that people will be under quarantine/self-isolation, which does mean that people will be spending more time indoors. As a writer, I'm very conscious of this so I'm going to try and update all my Fics as regularly as possible, just to brighten the pretty depressing mood that's going around at the moment. I will use my creative abilities to try and help as much as possible!
> 
> I think I might try and release content every two days. It's ambitious, but with chapters like this stockpiled it shouldn't be too hard, plus I'm going to be indoors a lot... I'll be releasing another Fic, _Enigma Code_ , on Friday so this one will have to wait until Monday (Sunday is my break day). I want to make self-isolation as entertaining as possible, since it will be very difficult for all of us.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and that it brings a little bit of joy in these trying times. Stay safe, everyone, and be like Overhaul. Not abusing children, but washing your hands, I mean.

**Mitsuki Bakugo hadn’t described with clear certainty as to what Diagon Alley was, but she had promised a trip there sometime in August.** August had now come, so Izuku was pulling on his shoes and jacket in full preparation to drive over to the Bakugo residence. It had been a long year of waiting until he could dive headfirst into the wizarding world, although Izuku felt it had been a part of him for his whole life. He had seen more of Katsuki this whole year than he had over the past eleven years of his life, despite sharing the same schooling. It was a complicated friendship, one where Kacchan wasn’t especially fond of him- Izuku. In fact, Izuku was fairly sure that the other boy didn’t want him to go to Hogwarts in the first place, but he had never said anything to him before. Izuku could tell himself that he would always have Kacchan when they were attending Hogwarts, even if just for the first week while there.

His mum joined in him the hallway, her slight stature having become somewhat softer over the past eight months. Izuku had noticed she had been stress-eating more, finding less time for herself in her attempts to research wizards and witches in books and across the internet. There was little information, of course, but Izuku didn’t have the heart to tell her that her efforts were fruitless. She wouldn’t find anything about Hogwarts either, no matter how hard she looked. He could see the doubt behind her eyes, no matter how many times she tried to reassure him that she was fine about this new development in their lives. Izuku knew that she wasn’t completely hooked on the idea of him going to Hogwarts, although she wasn’t about to start interfering with his life. He knew his mum would never do that to him. She was trying to support this new world he was about to step into, whence she was accompanying him to Diagon Alley today rather than allow Mitsuki to take him and Kacchan around.

He didn’t want to rush her, but Izuku could feel himself hopping on his toes, smiling excitedly at the front door as she pulled on a pair of shoes and a cardigan. He was already holding her car keys, which he gave to her before opening the door and bounding out down the drive. It was a beautiful summer day, not especially warm but crisp and the sun was out. It felt like the perfect day to go to Diagon Alley, a snippet of the magical world that Izuku yearned to see as soon as possible. If only his mum would pick up the pace a little; he understood that she had been dreading today, but he knew she would be fascinated once they arrived.

The drive to the Bakugos’ house wasn’t far, about fifteen minutes in total. Since it was a Monday, Masaru was at work, but Mitsuki and Kacchan met them outside. Izuku tried to give the other boy a warm smile, but he turned his head away, ignoring him completely. About a five minute walk down the road led them to the station. It was a relatively simple journey; switch onto the Bakerloo line for Charing Cross and switch to the Northern line for Leicester Square, where Mitsuki insisted their destination awaited them. Izuku found that his mum would hold his hand with a wide eyed expression on her face, as if this was the last time she would be able to. The underground was stuffy as always and Izuku was glad to be off it once they left, fresh air hitting him like a tsunami. He gulped it in, glad to have the coolness flow through his body to his lungs. Just being on his way to a magical place was putting a healthy bounce in his step.

They didn’t have to walk far from Leicester Square underground station. It was about five minutes up the road before Mitsuki stopped before an old pub called the Leaky Cauldron. It didn’t look like much. The wooden panelling was looking a bit old and dated, chipped and the plaster was crumbling. The sign itself needed a repaint, rusted metal beginning to come through on the swinging cauldron. Izuku recognised a few of the symbols on the elaborate metal post the cauldron hung from; the tree stump and a cauldron with a foot, both of which were from the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Mitsuki had leant him a copy that had once belonged to Kacchan when much younger and Izuku had pored through its pages, although now his memory failed him to describe exactly what it was he was seeing. Londoners breezed past, uninterested in the pub despite its prominence. It was almost as if it were invisible despite this being a pub-loving nation.

“A pub?” Inko looked incredulous, squeezing Izuku’s hand tighter.

“Trust me, this is the right place,” Mitsuki pushed the door open.

The smell of beer wafted over Izuku, covering him like a thick blanket. He didn’t go into pubs; his mum wasn’t much of a pub-goer. He often thought the men hunched at the bars with beers were shady figures, with dark eyes and mean intentions in their minds. This pub was no different, with a solemn bartender doing his honest work serving customers, most of which were men ordering beers. There were also perfectly friendly looking customers, but Izuku felt intimidated being there. He squeezed his mum’s hand and she held on firmer, a protectiveness that washed over him. Mitsuki and Kacchan, on the other hand, seemed to be in their element. The pair of them boldly walked through the pub with Izuku and Inko in tow. For a frightening moment, Izuku fretted that Diagon Alley would be as disenchanting as this place, but all he could do was follow after Mitsuki. It was strange being in London, yet having no idea as to where he was.

Mitsuki could smile at the bartender and receive one back. They were people who knew each other vaguely, not enough to start a conversation but enough to acknowledge each other’s existence. It was fleeting and extremely brief before she led them down a hallway with a sign directing them to Diagon Alley and away from Knockturn Alley. The hallway to Knockturn Alley was far more unkempt, with less lighting and the curtains faded and the carpets deteriorating. Izuku was grateful to be heading in the opposite direction, towards the more upkept hallway of Diagon Alley. There was no doubt that the wizarding world would also host intimidating areas, just as the Muggle world did. His mum kept him close to her, so much so that Izuku thought she might never let him go. He didn’t relax until Mitsuki had stepped outside into a courtyard, wandering towards a brick wall. It was just the four of them there, with no other exit as to where the alley might be.

“Did we go the wrong way?” his mum asked, her brow furrowing as she watched Mitsuki carefully.

“Not at all,” Mitsuki began pressing her palm against the wall at different places. “This is one of the few ways that Diagon Alley can be accessed.”

Izuku and his mum watched with trepidation at first, a feeling that rapidly morphed into awe when Mitsuki pushed one of the bricks deep into the wall. There was a scraping noise, stone against stone, and the brick wall burst into life, bricks shuffling apart to open up a space right before their eyes. Izuku’s excitement immediately returned, the darkened scene of before fading from his mind within a moment. They stepped out into a bright alley where Izuku was met with people walking in colourful cloaks and pointed hats on their heads. He was amazed to see this unusual scene before him, almost as if he had stepped into another world. In some ways, he probably had, since this was no longer the Muggle world.

“How come no one… I mean, _Muggles_ … can’t find this place?” Izuku asked with wide eyes, staring at the strange picture that shouldn’t have existed.

“There’s a glamour,” Mitsuki explained. “It’s not like it’s hidden, but it holds no appeal to the average Londoner. The odd stray that walks in is often redirected after a couple drinks with an excuse of early closure, but that rarely happens.”

There were so many shops to look at, but Mitsuki insisted they go to the bank first. Izuku thought that was one of the most boring places they could choose to go. There were banks in the Muggle world, so why bother going to a bank in the wizarding world? Still, Mitsuki brought them to Gringotts, which was a tall cream coloured building on the corner with “GRINGOTTS BANK” written in a gold, date font across the front door. The roof was domed and green, the copper having rusted a long time ago. Pillars on all three of the floors were lopsided, and yet it stood its ground, unaffected by the clear lack of architectural structure applied to its façade. The interior was even more impressive, with amber slabs carefully structured into pillars, the marble floors composing geometric circles and patterns in white, beige and black shades. People- witches and wizards- were stood in front of tall, brown counters, with men with long noses and pointed ears talking to them. Izuku stared at a very small man pushing a caged trolley with stuffed brown bags in it, a gold ring stitched onto their front.

“I’m not quite well versed in the conversions, so you if you have your shopping list handy with you we can work it out with the banker,” Mitsuki was explaining, even though Izuku and his mum were more entranced with the scene around them. It was just a bank, but it was a _wizarding_ bank. “Come along. Diagon only excepts wizarding currency.”

“There’s a whole currency?” Inko snapped back into herself and pulled Izuku along.

“Yes, and it’s doubled in the past thirty years,” Mitsuku didn’t look pleased. “But the British pound has almost tripled. It was about four-hundred pounds to buy everything on this list when I was first going to Hogwarts. I can’t imagine what it might be now.”

Even at the mention of four hundred, Izuku saw his mother shrink back a little. He was inexperienced in money, but twenty pounds was a lot of Izuku. He lowered his head, wondering if Hogwarts was too much money. They approached the desk and a tiny man peered down at them with small, round spectacles perched on a large, pointed nose. He had small, beady black eyes and Izuku found him strangely intimidating. He found himself moving behind his mum’s leg, looking up at the small man.

“H-hello,” Inko swallowed. “I-I would like to exchange, um…” She glanced at Mitsuki, at a loss for words.

“How much is the Hogwarts first year shopping list?” Mistuki stepped in.

“One-hundred and seventy-four galleons and twelve sickles,” the small man said.

“Yes, quite a rise,” Mistuki blew out a breath. “Well, she would like to exchange pounds for that.”

“One-thousand, eight-hundred and twenty-three pounds ninety-eight.”

“ _That’s_ the exchange rate?” Mitsuki almost fainted, before she glanced worriedly at Inko.

“I’ll withdraw two-thousand pounds worth of… Hogwarts money?” Inko didn’t look sure of herself, but she held up a card.

The little man was humourless, his thin lips remaining closed and merged in a frown. Izuku watched as he bent down to his old-fashioned cash register and began to type slowly, long-fingered nails pressing on keys he couldn’t see.

“Do you have an account?” he asked with a curled lip.

“No, I… I’ve never been here before,” his mum said worriedly.

“In that case, allow me to explain how Gringotts bank works as of 2020,” the goblin man grimaced, showing off pointy teeth as glowered at them with beady black eyes. “The Muggle world has become very dependent on bank cards, which means we’ve had to adapt to the influx of Muggle parents bringing their children here to withdraw money. However, there is no online banking database in the wizarding world, which means more physical Wizarding money has had to be smelted-”

“Would it be easier for me to withdraw physical money?” Inko looked stressed.

“Yes, whence we have ATMs over there,” he pointed a gnarled finger to a corner of the room where no wizard-folk were flocking to.

His mother nodded worriedly and began hurrying towards the ATMs. Izuku followed his mum, just as intimidated by the goblin man as his mum was. He didn’t like how grizzly he was, nor the sharp, pointed teeth that lined his mouth.

“Is this OK, Mum?” Izuku hovered beside the ATM. “Can we afford Hogwarts?”

Inko looked at him with wide, green eyes. A sudden determination settled across her features.

“No, we can afford this, Izuku,” she ruffled his hair. “This is your education, which means it’s very important to me.”

He nodded solemnly, hoping she hadn’t felt guilty into buying him schooling. School had never been this expensive before, but now that they were having money thrown around them like nobody’s business, it was stressful and was making Izuku question whether Hogwarts was affordable or not. Still, his mum insisted and she withdrew two-thousand pounds, all in cash. Mitsuki had saved their desk for them, withdrawing her own money necessary. When the Midoriyas returned and exchanged their money, the goblin was no less pleasant, but he did give them the money they wanted.

“About that account,” the goblin paused them before they left. “Would you like to open an account at Gringotts?”

Izuku glanced at his mum, since banking was none of his business.

“Actually, yes, I would, under my son’s name,” Inko pushed forwards ten galleons. “And I would like to put these in his account.”

“And what is your son’s name?” the goblin cast a mean side glance towards Izuku, who shrank back, as he took the money offered.

“Izuku Midoriya,” she said, and the goblin man paused in considered.

“Midoriya…” he mused, before shaking his head and writing down the name on his typewriter. “And you would like to put ten galleons in Mr Midoriya’s account.”

“That’s correct,” Inko nodded, looking more sure of herself as time passed.

The goblin processed the transaction, before printing off the paper he’d been typing on. He placed it in a brown paper envelope which he put in a tray beside him alongside the money that was kept in a small leather pouch. It was soon whisked away by a goblin pushing a trolley, perhaps never to be seen again, Izuku mused.

“Now that that’s done, we can complete the shopping list,” Mitsuku looked pleased to be leaving Gringotts, and so did Izuku’s mum.

The four of them hurried from shop to shop, buying items that would only normally be seen on Halloween. Izuku was awed by the books on magic and the cauldron and the robes and the hat, the telescope and the scales, and that awe remained with him even when they wandered into a shop called Ollivanders. It looked like a scene from an antique 1920s sweet shop, with wooden panelled walls and wooden floors that were somewhat dusty in colour. A tall desk stood between the customers and server, a small draft drifting in from the open door as the four of them walked inside.

A man with frizzled white hair popped up from behind the desk, looking at them through round glasses. He was aged beyond years, his skin looked so pale and thin that Izuku believed a paper cut would severely tear him. A smile appeared on his face as he took in Mitsuki, who shifted from foot to foot with a pleasant smile of her own.

“Mitsuku Tohaku!” he beamed as Kacchan sent his mother a disbelieving stare. “Although I do believe you go by Mitsuku _Bakugo_ now, don’t you? It’s a pleasure to see you again after so many years.”

“It’s good to be back,” Mitsuki smiled, planting a hand on her son’s head. “This one needs a wand, although aren’t you retired yet?”

“I’m only one-hundred and thirteen,” the old wizard chuckled. Izuku and his mum almost fainted. “In all seriousness, I am training my son to take over the business. Geo’s currently out the back, creating new wands just as I’ve taught him. I suppose your son would like a wand, then?”

“Why else would I be here, fossil?” Katsuki scowled.

“That’s not how I taught you to say ‘yes, please’,” Mitsuku flicked his head so quick it was like it almost didn’t happen. “I’m sorry, Mr Ollivander. My son apparently doesn’t want a wand.”

“He reminds me of the day I met you,” Mr Ollivander chuckled. “Perhaps, then the same wand.”

Izuku watched in fascination as the old man looked amongst the stacked shoe boxes behind him, before selecting one and opening it. In his hands, he lifted a stick.

“Spruce wood with a dragon heartstring core,” he held it out towards Katsuki, who boldly took it. “Give it a flick.”

Kacchan’s red eyes flicked between the man and his wand, before he flicked his wrist. The wand sparked aggressively, making even Katsuki flinch away.

“No, no, perhaps not, then…” Ollivander took the wand back and packed it away. “The dragon is correct, I can feel it. Perhaps ash is more to your taste, for I do believe the larch that Mr Masaru Bakugo holds is not suited to you at all.”

Kacchan gave this wand a flick, and the wand box on Ollivander’s desk went flying. He handed it back with a shake of his head.

“There is definitely a stubborn rage to you…” Ollivander hummed. “I did wonder at first, but… Try this one.”

The last wand he gave Katsuki seemed to have a much more meaningful interaction. Katsuki flicked his wrist and although nothing happened, an invisible force seemed to flutter Katsuki’s hair and he suddenly stood taller.

“And that, I do believe, is a match,” Ollivander placed the wand back into its box, but handed it to Katsuki. “Holly wood with a dragon core, thirteen inches. I think you shall find a lot of character building as you bond with this wand, young Mr Bakugo.”

Katsuki inspected his box as his mum paid, and then Izuku found Mr Ollivander’s kind eyes had turned towards him.

“And how can I help you?” the man asked. “And what shall I _call_ you?”

“Izuku,” he swallowed uncomfortably. “I’m new to this.”

“I did wonder as such, Mr Izuku,” Ollivander beamed. “I rather think a unicorn hair core will be much to your liking. I think it is best to start with poplar.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did so much research on wizard wands to make sure I was accurate as possible when taking a look through them. I never realised so much thought had to be put into them, but when reading about the wand woods and cores it all began to make so much more sense. It also made me think more about the meaning behind Harry Potter's wand, so that was very interesting for me.
> 
> I had to rewrite my CV but I felt really good about the rewrite so I have high hopes for it! Not that many people will be hiring right now, but at least I can work on my CV until the employment scene becomes more positive. I hop everyone has been staying safe and I hope this chapter can help keep people a little busier!!

**Seeing a wand and holding a wand were two very different things.** Izuku was sure his mum thought he looked incredibly strange, standing as he was holding a stick in his hands. Except, once you were holding them they became more than wood. Izuku could feel a strong energy thrumming beneath the poplar surface, something he couldn’t explain. It overwhelmed him, to say the least. When he flicked his wrist and sent a bolt of energy that almost knocked over Ollivander’s desk and threw him backwards, the entire room fell quiet and still, wide eyes turned towards him.

“Are you OK?” his mum rushed to his side, inspecting every area of body for any breakage.

“I’m fine…” Izuku climbed to his feet, before offering the wand back to Ollivander.

“Yes, I do agree that perhaps that wasn’t the finest match I’ve attempted to make,” the old man took the wand and returned it safely to its box. “Perhaps you need something more balancing. A wand that desires loyalty and perception. Cedar, I think, will be best suited to your character.”

Izuku received this second wand, which he turned over delicately in his hands. This time, he didn’t aim at anyone, flicking his wrist downwards. There was a peculiar noise, a low thrum that resonated with his body. For a moment, Izuku felt excited that he had found his perfect match, when every window in Ollivander’s shattered in synchronisation. Izuku’s mother shrieked and covered her head, whereas the wizarding folk all grimaced. Apart from Katsuki; Kacchan kept a level, almost smug gaze pointed towards Izuku.

“It liked you a lot,” Ollivander took the cedar wand, frazzled. “But it didn’t particularly want you, I’m afraid.”

Izuku’s mum sadly patted his shoulder.

“English oak is made for the courageous, the strong and the loyal,” Ollivander lifted a wand. “You have an open face, so I do wonder if these are the wood traits that will suit you best.”

Ollivander swiftly changed his mind after Izuku’s English oak wand set the corner of his desk on fire, which was quickly patted out. He reasoned that it was because the wand had gotten over-excited, but Izuku strongly believed he wasn’t a favourable wizard-to-be. The next wand they tried was rowan wood, but it coughed two plumes of smoke. Apparently, Izuku’s head was too busy for the wand to cope with him. It was from there that Ollivander developed a deeper understanding of Izuku’s personality.

“You see, it often takes me more time to present wands to new families,” Ollivander explained. “There’s no family history for me to base my predictions on. I believe that the best wand wood for you is willow. It is for those with less experience and perhaps deep-rooted insecurities that they themselves might not necessarily know about.”

This new wand that was given to Izuku felt right. It filled him with a pleasant warmth, although when he flicked it, a melancholy breeze drifted through the shop. He shivered and his warm feeling almost dissipated.

“Very curious…” Ollivander dipped back to his boxes, before taking one out and holding it out for Izuku to see. “Before you take this, I must warn you that phoenix feather cores can be very temperamental. I’m surprised that the unicorn core is not working for you, but I can tell you have an affinity with willow. Usually, I would try dragon heartstring, but with a willow wand I can’t see that being very compatible. Instead, I think phoenix feather might be better suited for you, despite it being the rarest of the cores that I use in this shop.”

As Izuku took this new wand and traded in the old one, he felt the same rush of warmth as before, except it intensified, surging through his body and pumping along with the beat of his heart. He couldn’t help but gasp, staring at the wand, and that’s when Ollivander smiled.

“And that, Mr Izuku, is what it feels like when you and your wand choose one another,” he said. “Ten inches of willow wood, with a phoenix feather core. I do believe that you will learn a lot about yourself in the coming years.”

“Thank you,” Izuku turned the wand over and over in his hands, until he had to return it to Mr Ollivander to be put back into its box.

“And since you are new, I must remind you that you are not allowed to use magic in the Muggle domain,” Ollivander explained. “Take good care of your wands, boys. After all, a wand chooses its owner for life.”

Izuku felt enthralled after they left Ollivanders. “I can’t believe I got a phoenix feather! What is a phoenix?”

“A bird, I think…” his mum scratched the back of her head.

“A phoenix is a very special bird,” Mitsuki chimed in. “They’re immortal, for starters, and will burst into flames every time they finish one life cycle. From the ashes, they’re born again. As a result, the user of a phoenix feather wand is likely to be a very special person.”

“It’s a bird feather,” Katsuki complained. “It can’t be _that_ different.”

“Dragon heartstring is also really cool, though,” Izuku tried to uplift the other boy’s mood. “Think about how cool and powerful dragons are!”

Kacchan didn’t reply. He just grunted and folded his arms, looking in the other direction.

“You both got remarkable wands, boys,” Mitsuki said cheerfully. “Both holly wood and phoenix feather cores are rare. However, you can’t compare a wand to a wand. It’s how a wand is used, and whether it’s best suited for each individual user. All wands help their users to grow to their fullest potential.”

“You have to take absolute care of that wand, Izuku,” his mum instructed. “It’s a very special creation that Mr Ollivander took a lot of time to make.”

He nodded with a wide grin. Although he didn’t say it out loud, Izuku silently promised himself that he would keep this wand safe from anything and everything. It was a precious item that he immediately learnt to treasure.

“Our last stop is the pet shop,” Mitsuki said.

“We’re getting a pet, too?” Izuku glanced excitedly at his mum.

“It’s not mandatory, but me and Mitsuki decided that getting an owl would be very beneficial to you,” his mum smiled.

He almost ran into the shop, but stopped himself short. Izuku didn’t want to charge in and scare the animals, especially since he would be taking one home with him. The four of them entered the store and Izuku heard the flapping of wings all around them. He stared about him in amazement, seeing eyes of owls watching him as he walked past. This would be his first pet, for which he was extremely grateful to receiving one. Back in December, on his eleventh birthday, he had been terrified by the owls with their letters, but now that understood much more about magic, he was enthralled by the idea of having an owl carry his mail to him. He had already been changing, long before receiving his wand.

Unlike wands, animals had more distinct personalities and weren’t obligated to bond with you on first sight. Izuku spent his time trying to communicate with each owl and, with the help of the shopkeeper, made a very fine purchase of an aloof tawny owl that had seemed to listen to what he had been saying. He believed it was the start of a wonderful friendship. Izuku’s mum carried the rest of his shopping, so he held his owl in his cage. Katsuki had an aggressive looking great horned owl that shifted around its cage, amber eyes flicking here and there.

Their shopping list was done after that, so it only made sense to head home and pack for September 1st. Before they parted ways, Mitsuki instructed that Izuku and his mum meet them at King’s Cross Station. It was a simple instruction that they agreed to, and for the next three weeks, the pair of them prepared for Izuku’s journey to Hogwarts. His mum developed an awkward relationship with the owl, whom Izuku had named Havily, so by the time they went to King’s Cross Station for eleven in the morning, she was crying for both her son and her owl.

Masaru and Mitsuki Bakugo met them as soon as they arrived at the centre of King’s Cross. Kacchan was with them, but he didn’t offer a friendly reception to Izuku when he tried to greet him.

“Now, before we head on, you have everything?” Mitsuki checked, even though she had previously messaged Izuku’s mum.

“Everything on the list is in this trolley,” Inko glanced at the stacked trolley Izuku was pushing along.

“Good,” Mitsuki clasped her hands together. “Don’t panic, but we’re going to platform nine and three quarters.”

“Nine and three quarters?” Inko wrinkled her nose.

“You’ll see,” Masaru began to walk along, motioning for them to follow.

Izuku held on to his mum’s hand. There were busy Londoners streaming past on their way to work, briefcases in hand and talking on their phones. It was weird to think they had no idea that a world of witches and wizards existed. It was also intimidating, following the Bakugo family to platform nine and walking further up, ignoring the train that was rolling in.

“Is this it?” Inko gestured to the train as the doors opened, ready to head off to its next destination soon.

“Not at all,” Mitsuki almost looked mischievous. “Hogwarts isn’t that easy for muggles to accidentally go to. If it was, we’d have a big problem. I wanted to come here _with_ you guys so that I could demonstrate how to get to platform nine and three quarters.”

“Yes, I’d normally tell you such a platform doesn’t exist,” Inko looked mystified. “But what do I know?”

“We’re between platform nine and ten, now,” Mitsuki explained. “Masaru, I want you to demonstrate to both Katsuki and the Midoriyas where you need to go.”

Izuku watched as Masaru Bakugo rolled his shoulders back. He began to speed walk along the platform, ignored by the busy Londoners, gradually picking up speed as he rushed towards a brick column. Inko opened her mouth to speak, to call out that he was going to get hurt, when he suddenly vanished into the bricks before their very eyes. Izuku’s jaw dropped open and he felt his mum clutch his hand harder. He glanced between Mitsuki and the brick wall until she let out a laugh. A few people stared, but no one had noticed the man pass through a brick column and not come out from the other side.

“You go next, Katsuki,” Mitsuki patted her son on the shoulder warmly. “And stay with your father on the other side. Don’t immediately get on the train.”

“Whatever,” Katsuki grumbled, gripping the trolley hard and running towards the brick wall.

Again, Izuku found himself flinch, but Katsuki passed through without serious injury. Mitsuki patted his shoulder and he knew he was next. His mum wished for him to be OK, so Izuku clutched the handle of trolley and licked his lips in concentration, lining himself up with the brick wall. His heart was hammering in his chest. If he messed this up, not only would it hurt but he’d also look very stupid. He took a few deep breaths and ran towards the brick wall, pushing the trolley along. It was coming towards him so quickly, so he squeezed his eyes shut just before the impact. When nothing harmful happened, he opened his eyes, slowing down, and saw a completely different scene before him.

There stood Masaru and Katsuki. The station was still made of brick and looked like King’s Cross, except now this was the only platform, a brick tunnel surrounding them. Parked at the platform was an old, seventeenth century steam engine train. It was red with a black face, the numbers ‘5972’ printed in white on the front and, above, a deep red sign with gold lettering saying “Hogwarts Express” below a coat of arms. He rolled to a stop beside Masaru and Katsuki, staring in awe at a train that should’ve disappeared over two-hundred years ago.

“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” Masaru smiled proudly at the train. “I remember the first time I walked on this platform when I was your age, boys. It was 1993, and it looked almost exactly the same except-”

“Nice story, Dad,” Katsuki scowled. “Can I get on the train now?”

“Wait for your mother,” Masaru ruffled his son’s hair with a weak smile.

Mitsuki and Inko weren’t far behind, Inko stumbling through in a panic and Mitsuki appearing behind her, a look of satisfaction in her eyes. Inko looked around with the same awe that Izuku had moments before.

“This station has looked the same for the past thirty years,” Mitsuki beamed. “It looked like this back in 1997, when I first arrived at Hogwarts. I actually met Masaru on the train, but he was a fourth year and didn’t want to have anything to do with me. In fact, he barely spoke to me throughout our days at Hogwarts, but when I came across him at work afterwards, we remembered each other.”

Masaru smiled warmly at the fond memory.

“I can’t believe this has been here this whole time,” Inko gaped.

“It’s actually been here since the 1850s, and the train’s about thirty years older,” Mitsuki said. “History of Magic. Remember that fact boys; it will probably appear in your first HoM class.”

“I think you’re going to have a fantastic time, Izuku,” Inko awkwardly clasped her hands together, nervously looking at him. He wished she could come further than this. Now that the time to say goodbye was arriving, he felt anxious about leaving. “Oh, I just remembered! I’ll need your phone.”

“Yes,” Izuku blinked in realisation and reached into his jean pocket, handing over the mobile. “I’ll write to you as soon as possible. Just keep an eye out for Havily knocking on your door or window.”

“I will,” Inko pushed a finger through the owl’s cage and tenderly scratched the back of her head. “And I’ll write back.”

He could see her eyes watering, and his own vision was blurred by a sudden onslaught of tears. Parents were already sending their children onto the train, yet he could’ve stood there for another hour just taking in the presence of his mum. Still, he knew the Bakugos wouldn’t want to linger too long, and his own mum had informed her boss she would be in late for work due to dropping him off. They couldn’t delay forever.

“Remember to work hard, and make sure to make as many friends as possible,” Inko took his shoulders, standing at just over a head taller than him still. “You’ll have Katsuki with you, too, which will make everything a lot easier. Remember to be yourself and you’ll see me at Christmas.”

He nodded, swallowing back the sadness that accumulated in his throat.

“And write me as much as possible,” Inko rubbed the tears from her eyes. “I’ll miss you, but I know you’ll have a fantastic time, so I’m not worried.”

“You’re not?” Izuku was hesitant to leave his mum alone at home, but she suddenly seemed so brave and confident.

“I have so much faith that you’ll have a wonderful time,” Inko patted his head and hugged him again.

“Now, Katsuki, I want you to stay with Izuku for the _whole_ journey,” Mitsuki’s tone became a warning. “Don’t leave him on his own since this is very new for him. Buy him a chocolate frog, too. Mother’s orders.”

“Whatever, hag,” Katsuki scowled, teeth gritted.

“That reminds me,” Inko rifled through her pocket and handed Izuku a small wallet. “There’s five galleons, eleven sickles and two knuts in there. Use it carefully.”

“Thank you,” this was the first time he had had his own money to spend. He put it in his pocket, prepared to take good care of it.

“One more thing,” Mitsuki stopped her son, who had turned to leave for the train. “Get into Slytherin.”

“You can be in _whatever_ House and we won’t mind,” Masaru gave his wife an exasperated stare.

“But get into Slytherin,” she repeated with a smile, ruffling his hair one last time.

“What’s… Slytherin?” Izuku asked curiously.

“Hogwarts has four houses, but the staff will explain it to you on the way there,” Mitsuki said with a secretive smile. “I want to leave _some_ surprises for you. Have a good term, boys.”

“I’ll see you for Christmas,” Izuku hugged his mum, holding on tightly, fighting off more of his tears.

When it was time to let go, he did, listening to the ringing of a bell as someone cried, “All aboard the Hogwarts Express!” If it had not been time to leave before, then it was now time to get on the train. Izuku hugged his mum one last time, before he grabbed his suitcase and Havily’s cage, and followed Katsuki towards the door of the Hogwarts Express. There was a bottleneck of students standing at the doors that looked from all age ranges. Izuku suddenly felt extremely young, clutching at his luggage and keeping close to Katsuki. Every time he drew nearer, he would glance over his shoulder and see his mum still standing there with Masaru and Mitsuki Bakugo. She would wave each time, and he would lift a hand, all the way until he lifted his suitcase and Havily onto the train after Katsuki. He was the last one on, the doors closing behind him, and he stood watching his mum lift a hand just before the doors closed shut. It was ten minutes to eleven o’clock and the Hogwarts Express would be leaving soon.

Izuku’s life as a wizard was just beginning. He thought he would’ve felt excited and prepared. Instead, he felt extremely scared, frightened of being so far away from home for the first time in his life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad I proofread my chapters: "The other boy reached out his hand... Izuku shook his head". Also, if _you_ don't know what a quintaped is, then don't look it up. You'll sleep easier.
> 
> So! I hope all of you will enjoy this chapter! I had more fun writing interactions between characters, and I hope to keep posting regularly, since I can't leave the house anymore. If you haven't heard, the UK is on lockdown. We can only leave our houses if we need emergency food supplies and if we exercise outdoors (walking dogs, jogging) we can only do that once a day. You can't go outside for leisure, basically, which makes sense. Just stay safe, everyone and be careful. Wash your hands and be mindful of others if you are still able to go outside and such.

**Izuku decided he wouldn’t wait for the train to leave, but would instead stick with Katsuki, who was already storming away from door.** Pulling his suitcase along, he smiled warmly after the other boy, the two of them finding a carriage that wasn’t already occupied before the train set off. It almost felt like Katsuki was intentionally ignoring him, given the back-treatment he was getting, but Izuku kept telling himself that Kacchan was just as nervous about leaving home as he was. In fact, Kacchan had been prickly to his parents the whole day; he may have been _more_ anxious than Izuku was.

“Are you still following me?” Katsuki turned around and glared at him.

Izuku hesitated. “We’re looking for a seat, aren’t we?”

“Of course, because the old hag said we needed to sit together, didn’t she?” Kacchan snickered. “Well, here’s news for you: the old hag isn’t here and I don’t want to sit with you. Piss off, Deku.”

He stared in horror and couldn’t move his legs further. Instead, Izuku watched Kacchan stomp down the carriages, unable to react properly. His eyes watered. Even his childhood best friend didn’t want to hang out with him. Suddenly, he was all alone, and now the train was rolling away so he could hardly wave out to his mum now. He had traded his mother’s love for a friend’s frosty reception. He flinched as a carriage door opened beside him and a boy with dark hair and glasses gave him a sympathetic frown.

“I saw what happened there,” he said. “I don’t mean to pry, but would you like to share my carriage with me?”

The same warmth that had flooded Izuku when he had found his wand filled him now. He nodded, swallowing back his frustrated tears, and sat with the other boy, who made himself comfortable in the seat opposite. Izuku perched Havily on the seat beside him and tucked his suitcase underneath his seat. He closed the carriage door and the two of them sat in silence for a moment.

“I’m Tenya Iida,” the other boy held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Izuku shook his hand. “I’m Izuku.”

“I couldn’t help but overhear what that boy said to you,” Tenya looked marginally uncomfortable. “Are you two friends?”

“Kind of,” Izuku offered a weak smile. “We’ve known each other since primary school.”

“He could’ve been a bit nicer to you,” his mouth twisted into a disappointing frown. “I suppose you were hoping for a friend to sit with on the journey to Hogwarts. It’s a long ride after all.”

“How long is it?” Izuku looked out the window, but all he could see were dark bricks.

Tenya snorted. “My brother told me it was a whole week when we were younger, but I now know it’s only eight hours in comparison.”

“ _Only_ eight hours?” Izuku turned to stare at him once more.

“When you put it like that, I suppose it _is_ a long journey,” Tenya shrugged. “I’ve got a portable game of Wizard’s Chess with me and my parents gave me money for food.”

Izuku had heard of chess. “What’s _Wizard’s_ Chess?”

Tenya laughed at him. “You’re pulling my leg.”

Immediately, Izuku felt a little left out. He smiled and nodded. “Got me.”

“For a moment, I thought you might’ve been muggleborn,” Tenya began to crouch by his suitcase, fiddling with the trunk. “And there’s nothing wrong with that, it would just mean _a lot_ of explaining for an eight-hour journey.”

“Imagine,” Izuku laughed, although inside he couldn’t help but worry he had shot himself in the foot.

He watched as Tenya unzipped his suitcase and began rummaging around, before pulling out a checkerboard. It looked like a folded chess board, which he opened up and began taking out the chess pieces. They were ornately decorated, looking far more detailed than the average chess piece. Tenya balanced the board on his suitcase, which he’d rolled in between them. It was like the perfect portable table. He watched in mild fascination as Tenya set the pieces down in their respective spaces, before settling a blue gaze on Izuku, waiting.

Izuku was aware that in chess, white went first. Tenya had arranged the board to allow him to play first, so he reached towards a pawn.

“Whoa, that’s not how you do it!” Tenya swiftly blocked in hand. “They might hit you if you try to grab them in game.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve never actually seen a game of Wizard’s chess…” Izuku shrank back.

“That’s fine,” Tenya said sympathetically, and spun the board around, ignoring the small jeers of the pieces. “If I go first, you can take my example. Knight to C3.”

Izuku watched in fascination as the knight reared up on its horse, galloping over the over pieces before settling down on the appointed space. He should’ve known that, although the same concept as regular chess, Wizard’s chess would be full of unknown surprises.

“Um, pawn to 5B…” he frowned, watching the pawn shuffle closer towards Tenya’s knight.

“Well, I’m not sure what you’ve got planned, if anything at all,” Tenya frowned. “Knight to 5B.”

Izuku frowned, for he had just occupied that space with his pawn. He watched as the knight travelled across the board, looming upon the pawn he had just positioned. Raising its lance, it cleaved the pawn in half with a smattering of dust and a loud clatter. Izuku couldn’t help but shout in horror as the pawn’s remains skittered across the board. He suddenly wasn’t sure he was that interested in continuing this game of Wizard’s Chess.

“Don’t worry, they’re enchanted, not alive,” Tenya chuckled. “Are you _sure_ you know what Wizard’s Chess is?”

Izuku just offered a faint smile. Maybe he could just do what Tenya did, and he was sure to understand the game a little more?

“Knight to F6,” he swallowed nervously, watching the horse make its way across the board.

“Knight to D4,” Tenya responded, and this time none of Izuku’s pieces were brutally murdered.

Just then, there was a small, intimidated knock at the door. Both boys glanced over to see a girl pushing the door aside, a frown stressing her round face and her cheeks reddened. Izuku couldn’t help but think she was very pretty.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt,” she nervously pulled at her sleeves. “But do you think I could sit with you? Most of the other carriages are full and… well, a lot of students don’t want to sit with a First Year.”

“Of course you can,” Tenya gestured to the two empty seats they shared. “Izuku, I hope you don’t mind having to pause this game early?”

Izuku tried to hide his relief. “It’s fine. Chess isn’t a game for three anyway.”

Tenya nodded in agreement and ignored the protests of the pieces as he began to pack them away. The broken pawn repaired itself in time to whack Tenya’s fingers, but was promptly thrown in with the others. The girl carefully pushed her suitcase beneath the seats and watched the display of Wizard’s Chess in fascination.

“Is that… a magical chessboard?” she asked.

“It’s Wizard’s Chess,” Tenya explained, packing it away into his suitcase once more. “I suppose you’re not used to seeing a lot of magical things?”

“You could tell that easily?” the girl offered a nervous laugh. “Yes, I’m… what do you call it again?”

“Muggleborn.”

“Yes, I’m muggleborn!” she nodded emphatically. “I was so scared when I first received my letter from Hogwarts, but things have begun falling into place lately.”

“Statistically, there’s been more and more muggleborn wizards and witches in the past couple of decades as the last of the pureblood families have started marrying outside of other pureblood families,” Tenya explained. “So I think it’s safe to say you won’t be an outsider or anything.”

“I was a little worried about that,” a wave of relief seemed to pass over her. “I’m Ochako, by the way.”

The three of them took the time to shake hands and introduce themselves. Izuku felt a little stupid for having lied now. Although Tenya had seemed to be bothered by the prospect of having to explain his life to a muggle, he was chatting with Ochako about muggle life with exceeding interest. If only he had just been honest and told the truth about his background…

“You seem to know a lot about the Wizarding world, Tenya,” Ochako was saying. “I suppose you’ve come from a long line of wizards.”

Tenya puffed up with pride. “I actually come from one of the few remaining pureblood families, the Iidas. We’re a long line of wizards and witches, so if you have any questions I’m sure to know them!”

“Actually, I was quite nervous about what happens after the train,” Ochako twiddled her thumbs. “So far, I’ve had my parents with me, experiencing everything, but now I’m on my own…”

“As it happens, my older brother attended Hogwarts about fifteen years ago,” Tenya beamed. “He tells me _a lot_ about it now that I’m starting, and he told me that we ride a boat to Hogwarts before the opening ceremony."

"Didn't your brother also tell you that the Hogwarts Express took a week, though?" Izuku frowned.

"Yes, but I've now learnt to take everything he says with a pinch of salt," Tenya shook his head. "I'm filtering out all the nonsense he told me, you see. He tried to convince me that First Years were strapped to the legs of quintapeds which ran at Hogwarts at high speed, but I know for a _fact_ that he was lying about that. Anyway, after the ceremony, we’re led in and presented before the Sorting Hat, where we then sit with our house! There’s all sorts of individual introductions after that, depending on what house you’re sorted into.”

“Do we live in the house?” Ochako looked confused. “And who with? And what's a _quintaped_?”

“If you don't know what a quintaped is, then you'll sleep much better,” Tenya chuckled. “Oh, and the four houses of Hogwarts aren’t physical buildings, they’re more like teams. My family have always been in Gryffindor, so I’m bound to follow in their footsteps. What about you, Izuku?”

The Hogwarts houses had only been mentioned once to him, and that had been in the conversation between Kacchan and Mitsuki. “Slytherin.”

Tenya recoiled with mild surprise. “Slytherin, huh? You know, I can definitely see you having a lot of loyalty to those you care about.”

“Do the Hogwarts houses say something about you?” Ochako looked nervous. “What if you get put into a bad house?”

Tenya glanced briefly at Izuku. “There’s not _really_ a _bad_ house, per se. Each of them have their virtues and flaws, just like people do.”

Izuku felt like Slytherin was a bad pick, all of a sudden. Tenya hadn’t seemed to have reacted positively. Some part of him was now just wishing that he would be in the same house as Ochako. She was cute and seemed extremely friendly. Besides, they were both muggleborn, which meant they would be able to learn and experience the newness of Hogwarts together.

“Is it important what house you get into?” Izuku asked, suddenly fearing that Slytherin was a terrible choice.

“I suppose it depends on the person,” Tenya shrugged. “What houses were your parents in Izuku?”

He could come clean, but Izuku felt Tenya and Ochako would find him a little odd for lying. Instead, he decided to scrape together all the information he knew.

“My mum was in Slytherin,” he nodded confidently.

“Ah, that makes a little more sense!” Tenya perked up. “And I suppose your dad was, too?”

“Actually, my dad passed away when I was little,” Izuku decided to drop in _some_ truths. “Mum never really talks about him.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ochako’s brown eyes filled with warm sympathy.

“Me, too,” Tenya seemed to withdraw a bit, checking himself. “Perhaps you might be able to walk the same paths he did, then? I think this will be incredibly exciting for you.”

Izuku nodded with a taut smile. He had just lied about his father’s life as a wizard. Now the effort of concealing his lack of knowledge was rapidly souring in his mouth, something he couldn’t exactly take back.

“I can’t wait to start the curriculum,” Tenya continued, providing a wealth of knowledge. “I think I’m most looking forwards to flying classes. I can’t wait to get on a broom and have the world far down below me. It sounds very freeing.”

“I started reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Ochako grinned. “I can’t wait to see what kinds of magical creatures we’ll be introduced to! How about you, Izuku? What class are you most excited for?”

Not only had he lied about being adept at the Wizarding world, but now he was just falling behind on the reading. Ochako had shown a passion for learning about the world of magic. He felt like a fake in comparison.

“I’m not sure,” he said in a small voice.

“Surely your mum has told you a few things about the classes she took?” Tenya frowned. “ _None_ of them catch your interest?”

“The truth is, I…” Izuku tugged at the sleeves of his jumper. “I actually come from a muggle house…”

Tenya and Ochako exchanged a glance, before looking at Izuku with blank expressions.

“I didn’t mean to lie, it’s just… Kacchan made it seem bad that I had no wizarding background…” he sighed, fighting off the urge to get tearful. “I was worried you’d have the same opinion.”

“Kacchan was that rude boy from earlier?” Tenya asked and he nodded. He sat there, thoughtful for a moment, before saying, “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Izuku. Muggles are fascinating and vibrant, just like wizards are. The next time someone tries to look down on you for being muggleborn, then you have every right to stand up for yourself!”

“Aren’t you mad at me?” he frowned.

Tenya shrugged with a wry smile. “Maybe more confused than angry, but it’s nothing to dwell upon. I suppose this ‘Kacchan’ intends to be in Slytherin, right?”

“His mum wanted him to,” Izuku said.

“Now _that_ explains why you would say you wanted to be in Slytherin,” Tenya nodded. “I guess I lied a little bit earlier, too. One house does tend to have more negative traits compared to the others, and that’s Slytherin. Although they’re ambitious and loyal, Slytherin is the Hogwarts house that has produced the most dark wizards, including one of the greatest dark wizards ever, Afo.”

“Afo?” Ochako leaned in, large eyes wide and frightened.

“Afo is practically a legend now, but my parents recall the time when he first became a prominent figure in wizarding history,” Tenya said. “In 1998, he gathered up a lot of witches and wizards who became his followers, people who opposed and killed well-known good witches and wizards. He was the most powerful wizard of his time, feared beyond anything else, until he suddenly disappeared seven years later.”

“He just disappeared?” Izuku gawked. “Forever?”

“Not quite,” Tenya smiled. “He returned in 2013, seven years ago, to have a duel with the greatest wizard of all time, Toshinori Yagi. The two of them duelled, and Toshinori Yagi defeated Afo. The latter escaped, unfortunately, but his wounds were extremely severe and most believe he died in the aftermath.”

“But this dangerous wizard might still be out there?” Ochako looked terrified.

“Possibly, but I really doubt it,” Tenya shrugged. “After 2013, his followers disbanded and his name was forgotten to the mists of time. I doubt they would’ve done that if he was still alive. It was reported that he'd taken a very serious throat wound.”

“This Toshinori Yagi sounds like a real life Superman,” Izuku said.

“Superman?” Tenya looked quizzical.

“He’s a superhero,” Ochako chimed in. “He saves the day from villains and keeps everybody safe.”

Tenya mulled it over. “Then yes, Toshinori Yagi is basically Superman.”

“So, there are famous witches and wizards just like we have celebrities?” Ochako’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Absolutely,” Tenya said. “And Toshinori Yagi is just one of many. We’re lucky, though, because about two years ago he became a professor at Hogwarts, or so I heard.”

Izuku’s jaw dropped. “We get to meet Superman?”

“If the rumours are true, then yes,” Tenya grinned. “If I’m right, he’ll be teaching us Defence Against the Dark Arts.”

“Who better than an actual hero?” Ochako grinned at Izuku.

“When you put it like that, I can’t imagine anyone better suited for the job,” Tenya looked pleased. “I’m sure my brother would’ve loved to have studied at Hogwarts with Toshinori Yagi as a teacher.”

“I have to ask this, but are dragons real?” Ochako added, her interest piqued by the flow of information passing between the three of them.

“Of _course_ dragons are real,” the wizard boy grinned. “There won’t be any at Hogwarts, though. Depending on the breed, they can be a little temperamental.”

“What magical creatures have you seen before, Tenya?” Izuku asked.

“Only garden gnomes, and they’re a total pain,” Tenya frowned. “Once they’ve infested your garden, it’s really hard to get them out.”

“I thought gnomes were supposed to be nice!” Ochako looked aghast.

“ _Real_ gnomes raid your pantry and steal your favourite crisp flavours.”

“And what about unicorns?”

“As far as I’m aware, they don’t eat crisps.”

“No, no- are they _real_?”

“Oh, yes, and they’re fantastic creatures! I’ve never seen one in real life, but if you do, then you’re a very fortunate and blessed individual.”

Their conversation would’ve gone completely uninterrupted had a lady pushing a trolley of candy not come by. As it happened, though, she was selling snacks to the students, so the three of them bought a chocolate frog each, as well as a pack of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. The chocolate frogs they immediately ate, where the pandemonium of trying to catch them ensued, the beans would be carefully eaten across the lengthy journey, each bite taken with caution.

It was only towards the end of the journey that they remembered to change into their school robes, springing to action and hurrying off to the bathrooms one at a time. Izuku was the first to go, carrying the bundle of clothes in a bag, listening to the chugging train as it rolled over the railings and hooted on the odd occasion. Now that he was less than an hour away from the school, now that it was seven in the evening, he was ready to face his life as a wizard.

He was also ready for a proper meal.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter of _Izuku Midoriya and the Greatest Wizard_! We're just about to reach the moment you've all been waiting for: the Sorting Ceremony! There's been a lot of debate and wondering what house our boy is going to end up in, and I can tell you I spent quite a few hours using the pottermore quiz to put each canon character in a house!
> 
> I've been watching the films with my friend who's never seen them before, and it's been so funny and exciting to see her reactions. I might have also lied to her about Cedric Diggory's involvement in the films, so... yeah she now no longer trusts my inputs, hehe! We are both Team Dramione, too, but we still like Ron!

**He looked strange, standing in his robes with a black, pointed hat pushing down his mop of curly hair.** He didn’t feel like himself, and yet he only received grins from Ochako and Tenya when he returned back to their carriage. Although he was in a completely different world, he was sharing it with people who were both familiar and just as inexperienced as he was. Izuku was happy to hear he had already made some wonderful friends on his train journey and he desperately hoped he would be in Gryffindor with both of them. Suddenly, being in Slytherin with Kacchan no longer appealed to him as much.

The train arrived at a station on the docks, a pier leading down to large rowing boats bobbing on unsettled waves. The sky was black above their heads, with deep clouds roiling on its surface, and the white foam was just about the only thing Izuku could make out. There were a few, dim lanterns hovering by the boats, held by people wearing colourful cloaks and pointed hats. This was not the usual method of school commuting, but the absurdity of it only fuelled Izuku’s excitement. He wasn’t sure how to imagine Hogwarts, but he imagined it being a big school.

“Stick together and we’ll end up on the same boat,” Tenya informed them as they handed their luggage to a man with a large trolley. “We’ll be reunited with those later, I believe.”

Izuku took his word for it, holding onto the sleeves of the other two’s robes as they navigated they way down to the pier. After being on the train for so long, it was nice to have a breath of fresh air, even though it was so cold and salty it burned his lungs and stung his eyes. There was an angry wind, howling past his ears and threatening to send his hat swaying away to sea. He had to keep pushing it down, almost obscuring his vision with the rim each time. Getting on the boat was equally as hard, since they were rocking from side to side, no matter how securely they were tied to the docks. Izuku held on to both Tenya, who stood in the boat, and Ochako, who remained on the pier. The wood was slippery under his feet from sea spray, and by the time he sat down with Tenya and Ochako, he was a little damp and shivering under the chill.

Needless to say, he had never been on a rowing boat before and nausea soon kicked in. All his new friends could do was offer awkward pats on the back as he threw up over the side of the boat, hoping this was a one time thing he would never have to do again. Each time he was sick, Izuku desperately hoped he wouldn’t be thrown into the black, icy waters. He was already cold enough as it was. The journey was about an hour long, and conversation wasn’t enough to take Izuku’s mind off of his sea-sickness. However, once the boat trip was over, he was still the first off the boat, breathing in and out rapidly and feeling the cold air on his skin.

Only then did he raise his head and see a magnificent castle before him. There were pointed towers and stone walls and fortifications that looked like they belonged to a time long forgotten. Everything about it screamed of magic, and Izuku felt suddenly so overwhelmed to be standing before the place where his life would change the most.

“Are you OK?” Ochako asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“Much better,” he couldn’t take his gaze away from Hogwarts.

“It’s so big,” Ochako admitted, sounding a little uncertain.

“More so than I imagined.”

“I’m a little scared,” she confessed.

Izuku turned to her and saw her eyes had widened to the size of saucepans. Her face was pale; even her reddened cheeks had paled under the stress, and her mouth wobbled in an attempt to balance and hide her emotions. Tenya waved them over to join the group of students heading towards the castle’s main entrance. They were herded towards a wide set of double doors, with a heavy knocker at the front that their guide grasped and pushed with all their strength. They opened with a creak, the noise echoing through a massive hallway. Izuku stared around in awe as he shuffled along with about forty other students, all dressed in black with their pointed hats balanced on their heads.

It was then that Izuku noticed the homeless man. He found himself stopping on the spot as he laid eyes on the unshaven shadowy figure standing in the entrance hall, a lamp in his hand. He had dark shadows beneath his eyes and long black hair that looked unkempt and in need of a brush. He wasn’t the kind of man Izuku expected to be standing in Hogwarts, but instead someone who looked more in place in a London alleyway, lurking in the shadows. There was something about him that Izuku didn’t like. Automatically, he found himself shrinking backwards, somewhat hiding behind Tenya and Ochako.

“I’ll take it from here,” the homeless man informed their guides, who withdrew back outside. “Class of 2020, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. I am Professor Aizawa, and I’ll be taking you to the Great Hall.”

He proceeded to arrange them in alphabetical order. Izuku was reluctantly flushed away from his friends, being crammed in line between two boys who didn’t seem particularly interested in speaking with him. The one behind him was incredibly small, standing at just over a head shorter than Izuku, who was boasting that he would only be put in the greatest house, Gryffindor. Izuku was beginning to think that Gryffindor was the big deal. A spark ignited within him, the sudden desire to be placed in Gryffindor amongst the greatest witches and wizards. He imagined the Superman of the wizarding world, Toshinori Yagi, was a Gryffindor.

One by one, they approached a large door where the low hum of chatter could be heard from on the other side. Izuku could feel his heart in his throat and even the short boy had fallen quiet. Once he stepped through those doors, he would’ve officially become a part of the wizarding world. He prayed he would be in Gryffindor all the way when they opened the doors, leading him into a hall with four long tables and students as far as the eye could see. There were grins on faces, but voices were kept low and hushed as the First Years were brought to the front of the great hall, lined up before a podium where what appeared to be a mouse stood on a raised stool. There were so many eyes on them that Izuku immediately felt intimidated. He stared down at his feet, unable to acknowledge all the people watching them.

“Welcome, everyone,” the mouse began to talk. Izuku stared with wide eyes. Standing before him was a talking mouse. “I’m sure to a lot of the First Years, a talking mouse might be quite alarming, but I assure there are plenty of more worrying animals that can talk!”

There was a low chuckle from the older students, and nervous laughs from everyone in the queue of First Years.

“Here we are, for another year at Hogwarts, and my twelfth year as its Headmaster,” the mouse smiled almost proudly at all the students before him. “I think it’s safe to say, however, that you all wish I wasn’t a talking mouse and that the sooner I stop, the sooner you can eat.”

More snickers, which seemed to please him.

“As that’s the case, I thank you all for being here,” he said. “Let’s enjoy another year of Hogwarts together, and don’t forget to make sure you keep yourself well groomed! Let the Sorting Ceremony begin!”

Things became more formal after that. The homeless man, Professor Aizawa, stood beside a stool holding a battered, weathered hat. Izuku couldn’t really see what was going on as he had to keep peering past other people to see the front. The first person he recognised seated at the front was Kacchan. Izuku breathed in deep, watching with fearful anticipation. It almost looked as if Kacchan was talking to himself, the hat twitching on his head in the strangest way. Then, without warning, the hat perked up and yelled:

“Slytherin!”

Izuku’s jaw dropped. They had talking mice and talking hats- what else talked at Hogwarts? Izuku glanced around and saw some surprised faces in the queue- he wasn’t the only one who was taken completely unprepared. A roar blew up from one of the tables, hats waved in the air as Kacchan stood up and swaggered towards them, a smile on his face. There were pats on his back as he was welcomed quickly into his community. It appeared that Kacchan had achieved the house he had aimed for, or at least the one his mum had wanted him to get into. Izuku swallowed nervously, inching forwards one after one person. Names and faces flew by, and when Tenya stepped up, Izuku held his breath and willed him to get into Gryffindor, just like the rest of his family.

There was a long debate. It was a little worrying, admittedly. Izuku would’ve thought Tenya would be easy to place, given his long family history. Still, the Sorting Hat murmured to him, a conversation so quiet that Izuku assumed only the hat and the wearer could hear it. Even Professor Aizawa would step away each time, providing some sense of privacy. Finally, the hat seemed to quiet down, mulling whatever Tenya seemed to have said.

“Ravenclaw!”

There was a cheer from a different table, although Izuku could see the initial surprise and possible hurt in Tenya’s face. He wanted to cheer for his friend, but he knew Tenya was disappointed with these results. He knew his friend would much rather have been in Gryffindor, just like the family he so admired. If he could break from the queue and comfort his friend, he would’ve done so. Instead, all he could do was watch Tenya scurry to the Ravenclaw table, wearing a smile that strangers wouldn’t see through. Izuku felt sorry for him, and desperately hoped he could either change or would find a wonderful home in the house of Ravenclaw.

Izuku stepped forward each time a name was called out. “Slytherin! Ravenclaw! Slytherin! Gryffindor! Ravenclaw!” The list seemed to go on. Soon, he was watching the boy in front of him walking up to the podium, shoulders stiff and set in a thin line. Izuku could feel himself shaking, unable to draw his eyes away from the boy who wore the hat on his head. Now that he was closer, he could see the facial expressions of both the hat, the rolls of cloth giving it an aged appearance. The boy would grimace every now and then, as if trying to disagree with the hat. Izuku wondered if he would do exactly the same. Would he deny that he had the desire to fit in? What if the hat picked him apart, piece by piece, before placing him in a house that wasn’t suited for his personality? Some part of him wanted to be in the same house as someone he knew, but equally the thought of being in Slytherin with Kacchan seemed like a bad idea. He knew that Slytherin wasn’t the house for him.

“Slytherin!” the hat decided for the boy in front, who stood up and handed the hat back to Professor Aizawa before making his way down to the Slytherin table.

Izuku found himself staring at the stool, unable to breathe. The entire school would be watching him, scrutinising him until he was put under a certain house. What if he ended up in a house and people liked him less for it? Would his reputation change depending on what house he ended up in?

“I think that’s you, buddy,” the small boy behind pressed a finger into his back.

Izuku snapped himself back into attention and glanced towards Professor Aizawa, who held the hat poised in the air and was watching him with an expectant expression. Inhaling sharply, Izuku hurried forwards and sat on the stool, gathering his cloak around him and staring out at the school. Vacant expressions and eyes for miles were staring at him. He felt himself trembling under the weight of the hat as Professor Aizawa dumped it unceremoniously on his head.

“Well, you’re a nervous one, aren’t you?” the hat mused and Izuku flinched underneath its weight and voice. “I think I already know exactly what house you belong in, but do tell me your name again?”

“Izuku Midoriya,” when he spoke, it sounded loud, but nobody reacted.

“Midoriya?” the hat repeated. “Now, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a very long time…”

Izuku’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

The sorting hat hummed low and quiet. “Perhaps I misheard you. Did you say _Madoriya_ or _Midoriya_?”

“Midoriya.”

“Ah, I thought I heard _Madoriya_ ,” the hat continued onwards.

“But you said-”

“Hufflepuff!” the hat interrupted, and was whisked from his head before another comment could be made.

Izuku glanced towards the hat, although Professor Aizawa was watching him now. There were cheers from the Hufflepuff table, smiling faces that seemed welcoming as he stood up from the stool and approached them. He felt stiff and confused, lowering himself down with a few other First Years who were seated at the table. His entire body was shaking, because he was sure the hat had recognised _his_ name, Midoriya. It had repeated his name with recognition, only to swiftly backtrack. But Izuku came from a muggle family. How could the sorting hat possibly recognise his name?

“It’s really nerve-wracking up there, isn’t it?” another boy asked, still fiddling with his robes in anxiety.

Izuku barely took him in, just nodding slowly as he mulled over what the sorting hat may or may not have said.

“Well, welcome to the best house!” a voice cried and Izuku glanced all around him. “Right here. No, across from you.”

His eyes landing on a floating hat and robes that weren’t occupied.

“Yes, here, I’m invisible,” the robes said. “I have a family curse which is permanent, so my mother and her mother are all invisible. But I assure you I’m right here!”

“I can hear you,” he replied faintly.

“I’m Toru Hagakure,” the invisible girl continued confidently. “Professor Aizawa had to repeat your name a few times, so you’re Izuku Midoriya, aren’t you?”

He nodded timidly.

“I think it’s safe to say you’re all great people,” Toru continued. “I was worried about what house I’d get in, but I’m so glad it was Hufflepuff. The nicest people end up in this house, in my opinion.”

“You’re not just saying that?” Izuku arched an eyebrow.

“Of course I’m a little biased!” he heard her grin from the laughter in her voice. “But my parents have always told me that Hufflepuffs are the kindest of the four houses, whence a lot of attention is turned towards the traditionally more ‘exciting’ houses. There aren’t any dark witches or wizards coming from Hufflepuff, though!”

“Dark…?” Izuku furrowed his brow.

Her sleeves flailed. “I’m sorry, you must be muggleborn! Dark witches and wizards are those who are swayed by the dark arts. There aren’t many; in fact, there’s less and less now that wizards like Toshinori Yagi have risen, so in modern times encountering witches and wizards who have turned their back on good is extremely rare.”

“She’s right,” an older girl with a friendly face said. “The last frightful incident that involved a dark wizard was seven years ago, when the infamous wizard ‘Afo’ reappeared, only to be defeated by Toshinori Yagi once more. The little remaining of his ‘followers’ disbanded after that.”

“They’re only first years,” a boy with golden curls framing his face shot her a look. “I’m not sure they’re quite ready for stories like that.”

“I’ve heard of Afo,” Toru said matter-of-factly. “I think it’s safe to say anyone who isn’t muggleborn has.”

“All you need to know is that he’s a _very_ powerful and _very_ evil dark wizard,” the older boy explained. “There’ll be more about him in your History of Magic classes, as well as what precautions to take on the _extremely_ rare occasion that you may encounter one of his followers in your Defence Against the Dark Arts classes.”

“And now _you’re_ frightening them,” the girl said smugly. “I’m Angelina Appletree, by the way, and Ernst here is a sixth year prefect.”

“That’s so cool,” Toru babbled. “I didn’t realise we’d be seated next to a prefect so soon.”

“We just picked our seats at random,” Angelina laughed. “We have to leave space at the head of the table for the new first years, though.”

“H-hey,” they turned their heads as another first year lowered himself down beside Izuku. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Rikido.”

After Rikido, three other students joined the Hufflepuff table. They weren’t faces Izuku had previously encountered, but Nirengeki, Mezo and Tetsutetsu were all people he was positive he would get along with. It was towards the end of the line when Izuku heard Ochako’s name called out. He sat there, quietly hoping that she would be in the same house as him, watching as she conversed with the hat, cheeks pink and face smiling. After a chat, the hat reared up and bellowed:

“Gryffindor!”

Admittedly, Izuku was a little downtrodden that his friends had ended up in different houses to him. Equally, he was more than happy to bond with the other kids seated around the table, including the older years. He felt that Hufflepuff was a very close-knit community. Once the line had come to a close, Izuku watched with baited breath as Headmaster Nezu stepped up to the podium once more.

“To finish with the introductions before we can eat, I would like to introduce the new prefects and reintroduce the old ones, before bringing to attention the new Head Boy and Head Girl,” he explained. “Resuming the role of Prefect are Brooks Gears, Spruce Fiddlewood, Bertrand Ibis, Sue Dendron, Eden Austin, Inga Colibiri, Carter Flame and Gretchen Butters for the seventh years; Pleasant Gerble, Juniper Soots, Kai Chisaki, Calla Griffin, Derek Christian, Maud Mole, Ernst Caprine-” Izuku and his fellow Hufflepuff first years glanced towards Ernst. “-and Fay Pertinger for sixth year. Finally, Natsuo Todoroki, Cinnamon Box, Forrest Youngblood, Meadow Ironwood, Orlando Minks, Isle Hickories, Conan Willow and Lilura Barkridge will be joining us as new prefects for the fifth year onwards. I send you all my congratulations.”

Polite applause filled the room, with shared grins and muffled conversations between the students. When Nezu raised a hand, all fell quiet once more.

“I would like the Head Boy and the Head Girl to join at the top here, so that you may see their faces and know who you can rely on amongst your student body,” Nezu said. “For the position of Head Boy and Head Girl of the 2020-2021 academic year, please join me, Gilbert Bells and Magdalene Rutler!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you'd like to follow me on Twitter, you can find me here: https://twitter.com/XOs08115695 ! I hope you all have a great day and I will see you for the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a lot of reading about the Hufflepuff House and Common Room, especially since J. K. does tend to forget about Hufflepuff at times... Anyway, I'm posting this despite it being April Fool's Day just because I think everyone still needs a little bit of cheer, what with what's going on. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I liked writing more about Hufflepuff students engaging with their peers!

**Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table.** Izuku strained to look as two students rose from that table, both wearing proud, almost smug expressions. The boy was very tall, with loose blonde hair drifting around his shoulders and piercing grey eyes with surprisingly dark lashes. The girl following after him was beautiful; she had cocoa skin and large, dark eyes, hair dyed a shining golden colour. The two of them radiated power, and Izuku immediately wanted them to notice him for one reason or another. They looked like important and incredible people, dressed in their robes and hats as they walked proudly towards Headmaster Nezu. Izuku wondered if he would be impressive like that when he was older. He couldn’t imagine himself being that old.

“Head Boys and Head Girls have been Slytherin for so long,” Ernst put his head in his hand. “Usually it’s only one of the roles, but now they’ve taken up both positions this year.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Izuku asked nervously.

“Not always,” Ernst wore a faraway look. “But Slytherins are notoriously known for their unrivalled ambition and fierce loyalty to one another. If one of them is a bad egg, then the others try to cover it up. That’s why a lot of dark witches and wizards come from Slytherin; their behaviour is often swept under the rug by their peers.”

“Afo was supposedly a Slytherin,” Angelina added. “It’s hard to say I know a lot about the Slytherin seventh years, but I hope they’re a little nicer than the sixth years.”

“It’s true,” Ernst narrowed his eyes, finally drawing his gaze away from the Head students. “The sixth year Slytherin prefects, Kai Chisaki and Calla Griffin, are definitely a little crooked. I’m not saying they’re going to become dark, but they’re not very nice people. Take that from a prefect who’s had the chance to interact with them a little more.”

Izuku didn’t know how to feel about this. Kacchan had ended up in Slytherin, but his mother had also been in that house. Izuku always thought Mitsuki was a nice, well-rounded person; a little vocal at times, but a loving wife and a caring mother. A _good_ person. Would Kacchan become someone like his mum, or he would he be more inclined towards shadier figures, such as the ones described by Ernst? He politely applauded with everyone else as the Head students presented themselves before the entire school, before they sat back down and Nezu quieted the hall once more.

“And now the part we’ve _all_ been waiting for,” he said brightly. “Let the feast begin!”

Before Izuku could even blink, food popped up across the table. There were all kinds of different foods; roasted and baked vegetables of parsnips, pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage and asparagus; roast potatoes that were both soft, golden and crunchy, baked to perfection; whole turkeys that glistened and were stuffed, where the meat came off the bone with ease, and spices on the skin that created the most magical aroma, with chicken and geese prepared in the same manner. Nut roasts and cheese loafs oozed with delight, cheese sauce became the perfect combination for boiled cauliflower, and there were boats and boats of onion and chicken gravy. Mugs of hot squash of blackcurrant were provided to everyone, steaming and refilling once drunk. It was the most wonderful feast Izuku had ever laid his eyes on, and he couldn’t stop grabbing and eating food. He hadn’t realised just how hungry he was until now.

Nobody really spoke much until they were finished eating. Even the older students were hungry from the long train ride, although they ate with more grace and eloquence than the awed younger students who took all they could reach. When Izuku couldn’t fit another bite into his mouth, he sat back in contentment and warmth, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion wash over him. It was then that he noticed the silvery figures floating around the room. Izuku jolted upright and pointed with a shaky hand. Heads turned, and the older students laughed as the silvery shape of an enormous monk hovered towards them, grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, _hello_ , new first years,” the silvery man grinned, spread his hands wide in a welcoming gesture. “Every time I see you, you all appear to look younger and younger!”

“Hello, Fat Friar,” Angelina grinned.

“And the older students look older and _older_ ,” the man laughed, dipping through the ground and reappearing on an empty plate, only his head visible. “Oh, look at me! I do believe I’ve become the feast!”

“This is the Fat Friar, the ghost of Hufflepuff house,” Ernst was smiling, too. “If you ever need cheering up or advice, he’s the ghost to go to.”

“Ghosts are _real_?” Toru exclaimed, her sleeve extending towards the Friar’s head.

“Yes, and I’m very cold so- oh!” the Friar’s eyes widened. “Yes, it’s a weird feeling for the both of us.”

“I can’t believe ghosts are real,” Toru said, fascinated. “So each house has their own ghost?”

“That’s correct,” the Fat Friar replied. “A very long time ago- and I do mean _long ago_ \- I was a student at Hogwarts and I was sorted into the wonderful house of Hufflepuff. Now, you may find this almost impossible to believe, but I attended Hogwarts in the fourth year it was open. That meant there weren’t any fifth, sixth _or_ seventh years, and the oldest students attending were fourth years. Imagine how big the school seemed with so little students to attend it!”

“How long ago was _that_?” Toru seemed to sound doubtful.

“I have to leave _something_ for your History of Magic classes,” the Friar let out a low, belly laugh. “I do believe I would get into quite a bit of trouble if I took over the teaching curriculum!”

With that, he swooped down and disappeared from sight, presumably vanished to speak with other students. Izuku and the other first years exchanged awed smiles amongst themselves, before one by one they realised the food was being lifted and vanished before their very eyes. It was incredible to watch, but Izuku almost wanted to grab some scraps and save them for later. They were gone though, and the student clamour faded once more as Nezu took his post at the podium.

“Thank you for attending today’s feast, and here’s to another wonderful year at Hogwarts,” Nezu beamed, raising a golden goblet. “Please leave the Great Hall in an orderly manner, with all first years remaining until the end to meet your head of houses and be escorted to your dorms.”

“How exciting,” Toru said to him. “We’re going to get to meet our Head of House _and_ see our common room!”

He didn’t know what this meant exactly, but he smiled and nodded in agreement. Izuku watched as the older students filed away. He waved farewell to Angelina and Ernst, and soon there were only first years remaining. The Great Hall seemed so much larger now that there were less people standing in it. They started clearing out the first years from the left, which was the Gryffindor table. Since the Hufflepuff table was on the far right, they would be leaving the Great Hall last.

Izuku contentedly watched the Gryffindors leave, catching sight of Ochako walking amongst her new peers. She didn’t look over, but he wouldn’t really know why she would. For some reason, it felt like they were a million miles away from each other, even though they had instantly bonded on the train. The Ravenclaws left next, with Tenya wandering along, his head cast down, although he smiled when noticed by the other students. The Slytherins were the closest table to them, but Kacchan didn’t even glance remotely in his direction as they stood up and left, led away by the homeless looking man, Professor Aizawa. A familiar bitterness washed over Izuku, but he was soon distracted when someone let out a loud whistle.

“Another year, Professor Aizawa,” a woman cheered. “Let’s see who wins the House Cup this time!”

“There’s no competition between us,” Professor Aizawa hesitated, before waving a hand to guide his Slytherin first years along.

“Talk about a sense of humour failure,” Izuku looked at a woman with brilliant turquoise hair and a wide grin. “Hi, everyone! I’m Professor Fukukado, Head of Hufflepuff house. First things first, who here had literally zero experience with magic?”

Izuku shyly raised a hand, but he wasn’t alone. A boy with blonde hair and a shiny smile also had a hand lifted, as well as Rikido. The three of them all exchanged glances, a strange bond already falling between them.

“Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re less of a Wizard than they are,” Professor Fukukado put her hands on her hips and raised her chin, almost defiantly. “I’m a Muggleborn witch and now I’m the head of Hufflepuff House at the esteemed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Moreover, I was Head Girl back in 2012, so if anyone tells you that you’re not a true witch or wizard, then you can tell them that you’re just as real, if not _more_ , because you’ve had the chance to work hard at this opportunity given to you.”

This woman, who had originally seemed full of laughs and no substance, suddenly felt like a beacon to Izuku. He followed her in awe as she waved a hand and began walking in a completely different direction to all other Houses. They entered through a small doorway, cold stone surrounding them as they descended a flight of stairs. Izuku clutched his hat close to his head for fear it would fall off at any moment; a tall wizard would probably have to lower his head as he walked down.

A warm bready smell filled Izuku’s nose as Professor Fukukado pushed open a door at the end of the small tunnel. There was the sound of a crackling fire, which explained the gush of warm air that blasted Izuku’s face as they entered. Sudden movement caught Izuku’s attention and he whipped his head round to see small, nervous faces watching them. Long, floppy pointed ears sprouted from the heads of these small creatures and their wide, bulging eyes reminded Izuku a little bit of small dogs like pugs and chihuahuas. They wore strange toga-like clothes, all emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest, but he could see they had knobbly limbs and remained barefoot.

“Fear not, it’s just the new first years,” Professor Fukukado paused to smile at the small creatures. “First years, Hogwarts kitchen is proud to say we have the finest chefs in all the world; our remarkable house-elves who have been loyal to us throughout the years and the make _the best_ hot-cross buns.”

She held up a hand, clucking her tongue as Toru’s sleeve lifted up.

“Before you ask, we would hate to think our house-elves are mistreated,” she continued. “House-elves have exceptional employee rules implemented for their safety and respect in Hogwarts. It’s hard to pay them since they don’t accept monetary benefits, and it’s even harder to gift them. We let them pick their own uniforms, as house-elves traditionally consider an item of clothing as setting them ‘free’. Trust me, they weren’t too happy when we tried to implement shoes and a uniform for their work… Instead, they live in Hogwarts with their own staff bedrooms, they get two days off each week and only work forty hours a week, and all the food they could possibly want. It was hard to negotiate that, but we came to this conclusion in the end.”

“E-excuse me?”

Izuku, who was standing at the side of the crowd, turned towards the meek voice that had appealed to him. A small house-elf stood before him, offering a tray of eleven chocolate cupcakes that looked perfectly baked and iced.

“W-we made some c-cupcakes for the new students to take t-to the dorms with them,” she swallowed nervously.

“Thank you,” Izuku gawked at the tray, taking it gently from her hands.

“Thanks, Jimpey,” Professor Fukukado grinned, and the house-elf managed a warm smile before joining her fellows. “I’ll show you to your dorms now, since you’re probably getting a little sleepy.”

She crossed the room, pushing open yet another door that was actually a painting on the other side, and pausing at a stack of barrels propped up against one wall.

“There are two entrances to the kitchen corridor,” Professor Fukukado explained. “One is through the Great Hall and then the kitchens, but I wouldn’t advise getting under the house-elves feet. They’re quite busy throughout the day. The other way is from the entrance hall, which is where you first walked in through. If you walk through the doors and turn right of the Marble Staircase- you really can’t miss it- then there’s a door that leads down to this corridor. As I said, we call it the kitchen corridor.”

Professor Fukukado laid a hand on the stack of barrels and eyed the students carefully.

“We’re the only House that doesn’t have a changing password,” she took on a more serious tone. “So it’s very important that you don’t tell _anyone_ how to enter, _unless_ they’re a fellow Hufflepuff. Each House has a personal common room to take some space away from the other Houses, so to sabotage that would be pretty awful for a lot of students. Now watch me carefully, because I’m going to demonstrate this to you.”

There were five barrels on the bottom. Professor Fukukado laid a gentle hand on the second barrel on the left. The middle row had three barrels, to which their teacher pointed to the centre one.

“These are the only two barrels you’ll need to remember for access to the Hufflepuff Common Room,” she explained. “You need to tap the bottom barrel in the rhythm of Helga, and the other barrel to Hufflepuff. If you get it wrong, you’ll be doused in vinegar and you won’t be allowed in. Smelling of vinegar is _not nice_ , trust me.”

She tapped the barrels, then; Hel-ga Huf-fle-puff. There was a low creak. Izuku and the other students watched, fascinated, as the lid slowly opened, a cylindrical tunnel leading to somewhere light. Professor Fukukado gently took the tray from Izuku’s hands, holding the cupcakes at a level where her students could reach.

“In an orderly manner and one-by-one, please take a cupcake and pass through the tunnel,” she said. “I will follow you all through and make sure everyone’s luggage has arrived.”

Izuku was the first, since he had been standing closest to Professor Fukukado. He took a cupcake and nervously faced the tunnel, climbing up into the barrel’s entrance. It was a lot more spacious than he’d imagined; an adult could easily fit through here. Balancing the cupcake, he crawled through the space, listening to the wooden sounds of someone crawling carefully after him. He almost lost his hat a couple times, but it wasn’t that long a path.

Izuku stepped out into a warm, circular room with a low-ceiling and plenty of houseplants to offer a soothing mood. The windows were circular, but it was dark outside, the crackling fire and copper lamps on the walls the source of the warm light that had drawn him closer. Plush green armchairs were dotted around the room, some in groups and some alone, with a light coloured soft rug stretched across the wooden floors. It was so much warmer and more comfortable compared to the rest of Hogwarts. In that moment, Izuku knew he was in the right House, no matter how he had felt before.

Professor Fukukado gathered them in a circle. “Whilst you eat your cupcakes, I’m going to do the boring bit that Hufflepuff students rarely have to worry about- the rules. Hufflepuffs are rarely known to break Hogwarts rules, but it’s protocol that I let you know them. First off, a few grounds rules. You can’t leave Hogwarts unless you have permission from Headmaster Nezu _and_ are collected from Hogwarts by a parent or guardian. You can’t go to Hogsmeade until you’re in your Third Year, so please don’t try and get older students to sneak you in. Gryffindors are known for doing so. If your parents are _desperate_ to visit you during term-time, which we don’t recommend, they will need Headmaster Nezu’s permission. There are no exceptions to these grounds rules as they’re for your own safety and protection.”

“How come we can’t go to Hogsmeade?” Toru sounded disappointed.

“Members of staff can’t be expected to babysit younger students or chaperone them to Hogsmeade,” Professor Fukukado sighed. “We have weekends, too, and they’re often dedicated to helping older students with their OWLS and NEWTS. Once you’re in your Third Year, though, you can go to Hogsmeade every fortnight, when you’re old enough to be able to take care of yourself. I don’t think that’s a bad deal.”

Toru hummed a sound that neither sounded pleased or sad.

“Next up, accessing commons rooms is extremely controlled,” their teacher said. “I can’t stress that enough. You absolutely cannot enter the Common Rooms of the other Houses and each has their own protective measures just as ours does. It is a _serious_ offence to bypass them. On the note of serious rule-breaking, boys and girls _do not_ enter each other’s dorms. Any attempts of the opposite sex trying to sneak in will have the intruder face a defensive measure that is quite humiliating. The _only_ exception to this is if a male Prefect needs to enter in an emergency for whatever reason. And _that_ is how I will segue into introducing you to all of your House Prefects who were kind enough to stay up later.”

Six students wandered into the room, carrying warm drinks of hot chocolate and wearing cosy pyjamas. There was only one who Izuku recognised and that was Ernst.

“These are the people who you go to if you have problems and can’t tell me about them,” Professor Fukukado smiled at them all. “Without further ado, introduce yourselves, starting with Fifth Years!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Twitter for any news/updates: https://twitter.com/XOs08115695 !


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing OK! I was feeling a little stodgy from quarantine so I had to take a little walk outside, which thankfully I'm still allowed to do. It was nice to stop by the river and the weather has been really nice lately; very sunny but not too hot. I took a few pictures and played Pokemon Go, because I still play that game, hehe. I managed to catch 5 Dittos. They do tend to hang around my home area quite a lot, but today I was lucky to encounter quite a few Chimchars! I think the sunny weather made them come out. There was a nice Bulbasaur that I took and I managed to evolve my Ledyba and powered up my Gyrados.
> 
> The walk I take is quite nice; it's about 45 minutes and there's a PokeStop by the river, so I can hang around there for about 15 minutes (whilst staying 6 feet away from anyone). A dog came up to me with his ball but before I could say hello his owner called him back! Bless. It was just a lovely day and I feel a lot better, although I know not everyone has the same options that I do. I hope opening a window can also help, or wandering into a back garden.
> 
> Anyway, I have the next chapter of _The Greatest Wizard_ here and I hope you enjoy reading it! As always, thank you very much for the general support and I hope things begin to look better soon.

**The first was a Fifth Year student named Conan Willow.** He was a tall boy with jet black hair and obsidian eyes, very handsome with a wide smile. He was a member of something called the Quidditch team, playing as a Beater. The two girls amongst them- Toru and Yui, who had now learnt to stick together- had both swooned towards him with increased interest. In truth, Izuku had found his towering height to be a little intimidating. Professor Fukukado hastily moved onto the next Fifth Year student with a rough sigh, as if tired by the students’ antics. This was Lilura Barkridge, who was a lot shorter than her fellow Fifth Year Prefect and a pretty face with large brown eyes and full lips. She was happy to help them if they had any troubles and they were more than welcome to call her “Lily”.

Next up were the Sixth Year Prefects. Immediately, Izuku smiled when Ernst introduced himself to the others. Even though it was just his first day, it was nice to see familiar faces being repeated. Moreover, it was nice to know he already knew one of the Prefects; it was a comfort to think he had someone older to turn to if anything stressed him out. Ernst’s fellow Sixth Year Prefect was called Fay Pertinger. She was incredibly small and slim, her black hair cut into a pristine bob and her almost stance was immediately softened by the warmth in her brown eyes. She couldn’t have stood more than five feet in height and her small stature reminded him, admittedly, of his mum.

“Finally, our Seventh Year students,” Professor Fukukado seemed relieved to be nearing the end of introductions. “These two hold the most authority amongst Hufflepuff students, so if there’s something serious going on, it’s a good idea to bring your problems to them first.”

She stepped back to let the older students greet the First Years.

“This looks like another good year for Hufflepuff,” a tall girl with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and brilliant golden eyes marvelled. “Welcome to Hogwarts. I’m Gretchen Butters, one of the Seventh Year Prefects of Hufflepuff. As Professor Fukukado just said, you can come to me or Carter with any issues you might have that you don’t feel happy chatting with staff about. I’m basically here to keep Hufflepuff a friendly place and to make sure we all feel our best and do our best to get the House Cup!”

“Gretchen pretty much summed up our roles,” the boy beside her was the same height as the girl, but somehow seemed short compared to her. He had an impressive mop of curly hair that he let fall to his shoulders and his dark eyes were inviting and warm. “I’m Carter Flame and it’s great to have you join us for your time here at Hogwarts.”

“Thank you very much,” Professor Fukukado breezed in once more. “I still have more rules to cover, but if the Seventh Year Prefects could stay with me whilst I finish off with the First Years, that would be fantastic. The rest of you, thank you and you may now go to bed.”

“Good night, everyone,” the small girl, Fay, smiled sweetly, before wandering off with the rest of her peers.

“I’m conscious of time, and we have about an hour before ten,” Professor Fukukado checked a watch on her wrist. “You can’t leave the dormitories between 10PM and 6AM. You must be in bed or in the Common Room.”

“And if you do leave for whatever reason, myself and the other Prefects are on patrol duty,” Gretchen added. “We will catch you and we _will_ have to deduct House points for breaking the rules.”

“Do not under any circumstances go _near_ the Forbidden Forest,” Professor Fukukado continued. “It is _dangerous_ due to centaur clans being territorial. Professor Sosaki keeps an eye on the border and if she sees you anywhere near it, you’ll be in big trouble.”

“What if we accidentally enter it?” Koji suddenly looked fearful.

“Trust me, you won’t,” the teacher replied. “It’s a very sinister looking place. Speaking of sinister looking places, please _don’t_ go boating or swimming in the Black Lake. For starters, it’s freezing and you’ll get ill, but there’s also angry Selkies, Grindylow and Merpeople who don’t want to be disturbed by kicking legs and splashing water. I _know_ some of you might have heard of the young giant squid, but please don’t go out there to greet him. He might be friendly but there other lake inhabitants are not. The only time you would be able to swim in the Black Lake is if a member of staff or a Prefect was supervising you.”

“Which is rare,” Gretchen eyed them all with a smile.

“Precisely,” Professor Fukukado looked relieved to have someone on her side. “Do _not_ enter the Restricted Section of the library unless you have _written_ permission from a member of staff. If, for whatever reason, you have this permission, do _not_ take books out of the Restricted Section. There are desks inside to study at, so there’s no need to take anything out. Sorry for being such a downer, but these things have to be said for your safety and my peace of mind. Now onto more mundane things, like _uniform_. You all have the items you need, if you followed your shopping list and you have to wear your uniform at all times when on campus. Even on the weekends.”

The students collectively hummed.

“The only part of your uniform that you don’t have to wear at all times is your hats,” Professor Fukukado said and Izuku felt silently relieved. “But you _must_ wear your hats in ceremonies, as that’s what they’re for. Please keep your uniforms tidy, such as tucking your shirts in and keeping your clothes clean. You can take your robes off during meals, at assemblies or on the weekends, but other than that it’s important you wear them at all times, including in class. Sometimes your teachers might give you special permission to take them off. Please don’t add to your uniform; us staff members can confiscate excessive jewellery or items of clothing that don’t belong to the uniform.

“Spells should only be cast if they’re related to schoolwork or extracurricular activities,” she continued. “If we see you using a spell that you shouldn’t technically know, there might have to be a little interrogation as to where you learnt it and why you might be using it. You can cast study-appropriate spells in study areas, such as the Common Room and the Great Hall when it’s not mealtime. Please don’t spell-cast in any old hallway or in the grounds; it’s disruptive to others and you will lose House Points. Any spells and magic that aren’t related to your studies can only be cast with the supervision of the faculty, a Prefect or Gilbert Bells and Magdalena Rutler, your Head Boy and Girl.”

Izuku watched as Carter rolled his eyes at the mention of their names. It was unnoticed by their teacher.

“The only time that’s appropriate for duelling is on the duelling stage in the club room,” Professor Fukukado continued. “If you’re caught fighting anywhere else on the school grounds, twenty points will immediately be deducted from your House. We don’t condone violence here at Hogwarts. Despite this long stack of rules on magic, if you are in deep trouble and need to cast a spell, you may do so. Your safety comes first in emergencies, not what rules you might be violating. However, you shouldn’t have too much time to be getting into trouble because you must attend all of your classes. You have four a day with fifteen-minute breaks in between each class and lunch hour. You may only miss class if you have _written_ permission from Madame Shuzenji, our on site nurse, or a member of staff. You will get caught skipping class; our paintings, ghosts, staff members and Prefects all have eyes and will quickly report any students flunking out on class. You must also attend all assemblies. There’s no reason to skip out on them without written permission. We do try to encourage students to eat three meals a day, but we understand that there will be times when you aren’t well enough to eat. However, don’t skip meals for the sake of it; please eat and grow up to be strong adults. We take head counts at every meal so we know when someone isn’t turning up. Please stay seated for the duration of breakfast and dinner; it’s rude to leave early. This rule doesn’t apply for lunch.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but just be on your best behaviour at all times,” she added. “Sometimes, Ministers from the Ministry of Magic will visit Hogwarts and if they see you larking around, they won’t be impressed at all. It’ll reflect badly on all of us and you. Don’t swear or shout in the halls, or vandalise school property. I shouldn’t have to tell you guys this, but _please_ don’t be kissing each other, either. Keep away from any PDA, _please_.”

Chuckles and nervous laughs broke out amongst the students.

“Also, if you release the puffskeins out of Professor Sosaki’s office during their mating season, I will lose my head,” she breathed out a sigh. “They might be cute and fluffy, but they’re an absolute pain to gather up again. And for the love of God, do _not_ provoke Peeves, our resident poltergeist. You and anyone nearby will regret it. Plus, you _don’t_ want Peeves to know your face. And _finally_ , don’t smoke or drink. It’s not good for you and both are prohibited on school grounds. The last, personal rule is that you laugh at my jokes. I will be _very_ , very sad if you don’t.”

And with that, she finished. Professor Fukukado exhaled slowly, before smiling sweetly at the students before her. It almost felt like he needed to applaud after her speech, but since no one else was responding much, Izuku chose to keep quiet.

“I’ll be taking my leave now,” Professor Fukukado wandered back towards the circular door. “Breakfast starts at seven and ends at eight, giving you half an hour to forty-five minutes to get back here and get ready. Class starts at nine tomorrow. I’ve already looked at your timetables, which will be in your dorms, and you have Defence Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor. I have a personal rivalry with Grumps who's taking the lesson, so make sure to be on time and do me proud. Gretchen and Carter will show you to your dorms. Sleep well, chickadees!”

Izuku didn’t have the chance to watch her leave as Carter and Gretchen stepped forwards.

“Boys, stick with me and Gretchen will show the girls to their dormitories,” Carter announced, raising a hand so they could all flock towards them, which Izuku gratefully did.

Gretchen had the easier task of only two students, whereas the remaining nine crowded towards Carter. He didn’t flinch at all, motioning for them to follow as he opened a side door opposite to that of Gretchen’s that led to a corridor with eight doorways, four on either side. They were equally spread out. Carter took them to the very first one and pushed the door open. They entered a circular room, where there nine beds each with a trunk at the end and a copper bed-warmer hanging beside them. It all looked so plush and cosy, homey even, which was a relief to Izuku. He had imagined he would be sleeping in a confined space on hard, lumpy beds with low standards. Hogwarts was immensely impressing him, however.

“You guys will all be sleeping here,” Carter announced, but kept his voice low. “By the looks of it, all of your luggage has arrived. You can find your beds based on the initials carved on the trunks. I’ll leave you get unpacked and adjusted, but if you have any questions, the Seventh Year dorms are at the end of the corridor on the left. If you need the bathroom, it’s the last door on the right. Goodnight, First Years.”

Izuku lifted a hand and timidly waved as Carter left, closing the door quietly behind him. His bed was easy to find, being exactly opposite the door, in the middle of all other beds. He made his way across the room and greeted Havily, who was still in his cage.

“You’ll have to bring your owl to the owlery,” Koji Koda, whose bed was beside Izuku’s, timidly wandered next to him. “I heard they keep them there with school owls, so they can fly around at night if they want to.”

“I’m not even sure I’d know where to find the owlery,” Izuku bit his lip, watching as Havily snoozed after the excitement of travel.

“I’m not sure, either,” Koji smiled encouragingly. “But I’ve got an owl, too, so maybe we could-”

“Listen up, everybody!” Koji was drowned out immediately by the much louder voice of a boy with silver hair and a wide grin. “We’re all Hufflepuffs and we need to stick with each other from now on. That means we need to get to know each other as much as possible and tonight’s our best opportunity before classes begin.”

He turned around with Koji to see the boy was seated on the end of his own bed beside the door. Izuku couldn’t remember his name, but his initials were T. T., not that that gave him any hints.

“I’m Tetsu,” the boy gestured to himself and Izuku then remembered his name. “I like battle games and spinach.”

He gestured to the boy next to him, the towering figure with a lot of arms.

“I’m Mezo,” he said. “I enjoy Takoyaki and squid ink pasta. Also, I look like this because my mother was a mermaid.” He spread his arms to reveal webbed skin beneath. “I can swim quite well.”

“That’s so cool,” Tetsu beamed. “And what about you?”

They preceded to go round in a circle, all of them sitting on their beds. Nirengeki loved boxing and had brought a lot of magazines on the sport with him, something he was very happy to show them all. Rikido loved cake and baking, and expressed he felt very comfortable being amongst Hufflepuff students despite being Muggleborn. Izuku was more than happy to express his excitement over superhero comics and how excited he was to learn that magic truly existed. He even showed off his wand, even though he still didn’t really understand the significance of a phoenix feather core. Koji loved animals and offered to help everyone with their owls or Yuga’s cat. Manga had a curse that made him incredibly expressive from a vengeful aunt over inheritance, but he was happy that he could still draw and be creative to make others smile. Kojiro was incredibly shy, struggling to articulate that he was grateful they hadn’t laughed at his appearance and that he loved putting together models of ships, planes and other collectibles. Moreover, his wand was the largest at eighteen inches, so the boys had a lot of fun comparing all of their wands with his. Finally, Yuga was able to express himself after a long time patiently waiting. He flourished and sparkled, expressing his joy to finally be able to use magic as well as his own experiences of having grown up in France.

It was a wonderful warm little group of people that Izuku was happy to have met. Sitting with them, he found he was able to open up and talk more and more. He had initially wondered if the Sorting Hat had gotten his House wrong, but he was fitting in perfectly here. They found themselves chatting late into the night until Nirengeki noticed it was one in the morning. Without parents to tell them to be quiet, childish excitement let them talk for another half hour, but then exhaustion kicked in and they were all asleep by quarter to two.

His bed was comfortable and it was nice to have Havily by his side, but once he was lying down staring at the ceiling, he realised how far away he was from home. He knew getting homesick wouldn’t get him anywhere, but he felt that it was inevitable to miss home. He snuck off to the Common Room and wrote a quick letter to his mum with the parchment and quill provided. He would give it to Havily to bring home when he and the others took a trip to the owlery tomorrow.

Once he returned to bed, he felt better and slipped off almost immediately. He could’ve slept for a lot longer, but fortunately Koji had set an alarm which had them all yawning and crawling out of bed to get ready. They were still half-packed, so there was a lot of suitcase rummaging and yawning. They were all in the same position, so Izuku was happy to stand in the bathroom in his comfortable pyjamas, brushing his teeth with his fellow First Years. They attended lunch together and although Izuku kept an eye out for Tenya, Ochako and Katsuki, there were already so many students there that he could’ve easily missed them over and over.

They didn’t have large book bags for school, just professional looking brown leather satchels. It was easy enough to cram the four textbooks he needed for that day, alongside the parchment and quill that he would use for writing. He felt very young, dwarfed by his satchel that bulged with books. Leaving the Hufflepuff Common Room with the others, seeing all the older students also reminded him how young he truly was. His heart was pounding in his chest as they asked around, searching for the Defence Against the Dark Arts class. They were going to be sharing a class with the Gryffindor First Years today, which mean he would be in the same class as Ochako. He didn’t want to overreact, but he was sure they both might have things to talk about.

When they finally found the class, his heart was almost in his throat. He was nervous about his first magic class, but he was also excited to see Ochako once more.

The door loomed in front of him, but Izuku was ready to begin his magical journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/XOs08115695 for story updates, my personal news and the occasional meme and retweet. Have a nice day, everyone!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am back with another chapter! I've become a little busier as of late, so I'm not sure I'll be able to do updates quite so frequently, unfortunately! I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for reading!

**Toru was the most confident of the 2020 Hufflepuff class.** She stepped forwards and pushed open the door, shoulders squared. Izuku reckoned he wouldn’t have been able to tell if she was nervous or not, considering he couldn’t see her face and it was difficult to tell her body stance when she was just a school uniform. He remembered in the back of his mind that there was nothing to worry about with this class, though. Tenya had mentioned that Toshinori Yagi, the greatest wizard of all time, was going to be teaching them Defence Against the Dark Arts. Izuku was going to meet a real-life Superman. His heart was beating in his chest as Toru pushed the door wide open.

The classroom looked old fashioned, with long wooden desks that could fit up to four people each. It was like something out of an old Victorian film and the red and gold ties of the Gryffindors buzzed around the room as they already located what seats to take. A lot of them seemed to stick to one side of the room, but it was then that Izuku spotted her sitting at one of the front tables. Ochako was surrounded by three other Gryffindor students; a boy with a shock of blonde hair, a girl with a bright pink mop on her head, and another boy with simple black, flat hair. For a moment, Izuku felt a small jab of sadness that there weren’t any seats left nearby her, but it was quickly flushed away by Ochako lifting her hand and waving him emphatically over.

“You know her?” Toru followed as he approached.

“We travelled on the Hogwarts Express together,” he beamed. “Hi, Ochako.”

“It’s nice to see you again,” she smiled, freshly. “You look a lot more well-rested.”

“You, too,” he rubbed the back of his head, already feeling a blush threaten his cheeks.

“Did you like your common room?” Ochako grinned. “Apparently we’re not supposed to let other Houses inside, but the Gryffindor Common Room-”

“You can’t tell him what’s it like,” the girl with the pink hair leaned past her with a grin. “That completely breaks the secrecy!”

“I wasn’t going to say the password or anything,” she let out a small, nervous laugh.

The pink haired girl scrutinised Izuku carefully. “So, we’re having Defence Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff. I’m Mina Ashido. What’s your name?”

“Izuku,” he swallowed nervously. “Midoriya.”

“You’re really nervous,” she hopped down from the table and she was a lot taller than Izuku had expected. “Since you know Ochako, you guys should take the table behind us.”

“How generous of you,” Toru stepped forward. “I’m glad we get to choose our own seats.”

Izuku glanced between the two girls. He hadn’t anticipated there to be fights this early on, or with Gryffindor. He felt bad because he wanted to support his own House, but he equally wanted to be able to speak freely with Ochako.

“We don’t need to argue,” the dark-haired boy reached a hand out between Mina and Toru. “This is our first class together. We don’t need to be arguing this early on in the year.”

“Yeah,” the blonde put his head in his hands. “Why can’t we leave the competitiveness for later, when House Points are more neck to neck, you know?”

“These seats are good, anyway!” Koji twiddled his thumbs, tapping the table they stood near. “It’s not like they’re a bad spot.”

Toru seemed to hesitate, glance between Mina and Koji, before lowering herself in the chair beside him. Maybe they would’ve continued their bickering had the door at the end not been thrown open, Professor Aizawa wandering out with an irritated expression on his face. Izuku lowered himself into a chair, Yuga seated beside him and arranged his books across his desk.

“Everyone pay attention,” Professor Aizawa said. “Class starts immediately. You’re all in time today but anyone not in their seats before I arrive will lose House Points. Is that understood?”

There were solemn nods across the classroom.

“The fact that you’re all seated in this classroom means that your time as a Hogwarts student has officially begun,” Professor Aizawa folded his arms, almost engulfed in his dark robes. “And that means you hit the ground running. There won’t be any baby steps for you in this classroom. I won’t stand for misbehaviour and I definitely don’t tolerate day-dreaming in my class, isn’t that right, _Mr Kaminari_?”

The blonde boy in front of them shot upright in his seat. “Yes, Professor Aizawa?”

He received a dark stare.

“Defence Against the Dark Arts is one of the most important subjects you can learn during your time at Hogwarts, whence it is taught to students as young as you First Years,” Professor Aizawa began to pace down the aisle. “It is also important because it cannot be predicted what career paths you may choose, or what you as young witches and wizards may experience throughout your lives. When one dark wizard is taken down, another shall always rise and it is best we keep caution.”

He paused by Izuku’s desk and looked down at him with those dark eyes.

“Can anyone tell me what the Dark Arts are?” he asked, surveying the room.

It was like a weight was lifted from Izuku’s chest. He wasn’t sure why, but Professor Aizawa gave him a bad feeling. He knew he was supposed to trust his professors but the sullen, dark gaze of this man left him with a sinking heart. He had really hoped Toshinori Yagi would be teaching him this incredible subject. Instead, he was given the complete opposite.

A hand shot up on the other side of the classroom, a blonde boy with a strange tail swishing from beneath his robes. Professor Aizawa pointed towards him.

“The Dark Arts are illegal variations of spellcasting, potion making, and animal breeding,” the boy looked uncomfortable.

“Correct, with some of the worst being the Unforgiveable Curses,” Professor Aizawa strolled back to the front of the classroom and Izuku felt like he could finally breathe. “It is these kinds of spells that we will be teaching you to _defend_ against, for to dabble in these arts is the most dangerous path young wizards such as yourselves can take.”

His gaze swept across the room.

“Irreversible, even.”

Professor Aizawa began to wander back towards the front of the classroom.

“He’s a little intimidating, isn’t he?” Yuga leant in close, the first sign of anything other than sparkles written across his face.

“Just about,” Izuku felt a wave of relief wash over him.

“And it was almost like he was targeting in on you,” Yuga shook his head. “It’s almost like he looks through you, too.”

“Agreed,” his confidence built up. “I didn’t realise our teachers would be so harsh on us on the first-”

“ _Mr_ … Midoriya…” Professor Aizawa paused beside their table and both boys shrank down in their seats. “And Mr Aoyama. I see you two are quite engaged in conversation over here. Tell me. What charm would be most effective to ward off an imp, Mr Midoriya?”

Izuku swallowed deeply, wishing he knew a teleportation charm to immediately disappear from view. “I don’t know, Sir.”

“Is that so?” Professor Aizawa arched both eyebrows, turning his head towards Yuga. “And Mr Aoyama?”

Yuga looked as white as a sheet. “An anti-imp spell?”

Professor Aizawa stared him down for a long moment. Izuku thought he would sullenly wander away, admitting Yuga was correct, but he slapped the tip of his wand against their table. No spell was cast, but the clack echoed around the room like a funeral bell.

“Ten points each from Hufflepuff,” he said. “For not paying attention in class.”

“Sir, please don’t take points from us,” Izuku pleaded, rising up in his seat. “It’s our first day so we’re still finding things-”

“Another five points from Hufflepuff,” Professor Aizawa’s expression didn’t change. “For answering back.”

Slowly, Izuku lowered himself back down. His cheeks were burning as all eyes turned towards him. He knew better than to continue arguing back, so he settled in his seat and tried his best not to cry. He was always a good student, so to be called out on his very first day was mortifying and completely unlike him. He and Yuga kept their heads down for the rest of the class and the only boy to receive any points for being good was the boy with the tail, whom Izuku learnt was called Mashirao Ojiro. Admittedly, a few of his Hufflepuff peers cast narrow eyes towards them, but Izuku raised his chin and ignored their stares.

Ochako ran up to he, Yuga and Koji after their class, since they had a twenty-minute break. Her cheeks were flushed pink and a wide smile was displayed across her face. Izuku still thought she was cute, even though her fellow Gryffindors had been a little harsh towards Toru earlier.

“Izuku!” she puffed out, catching his satchel and managed a tired beam. “You were quick to leave.”

Izuku couldn’t help but awkwardly reflect on Professor Aizawa and his harsh treatment. “I guess that class was a little awkward.”

“Professor Aizawa was picking on you so much!” she puffed out her cheeks. “It was completely unfair.” She nodded towards Yuga. “And to you, as well.”

“Quite,” Yuga shook his head, still pale.

“I don’t think I know your name,” Ochako continued. “I’m Ochako. I met Izuku when we were on the train together. What’s your names?”

Yuga and Koji were both happy to introduce themselves, even if Koji stammered on his name a little.

“Do you three know what class you have next?” she pulled her timetable out from her pocket and unrolled it. Izuku noticed she had marked Wednesday’s Defence Against the Dark Arts class with a yellow border. “Perhaps we’ll have Potions together?”

“Not here, sorry,” Izuku examined his own timetable. “We have Charms next.”

“In that case, I must have Potions with either Ravenclaw or Slytherin,” Ochako pouted. “I do hope it might be Ravenclaw. You know, I haven’t seen Tenya since the train yesterday.”

“Neither have I,” Izuku tried his best not to panic when talking to her, but she was so invested in their conversation.

“Oi, _Deku_.”

There was only one person who called him ‘Deku’. Izuku steeled himself and looked ahead once more to see Katsuki approaching, followed by two others wearing the green lined robes on Slytherin. One had a head curiously shaped like a bird, the only a messy mop of indigo hair and shadows beneath his eyes. Izuku hadn’t quite forgiven Katsuki for abandoning him on the train, although the three of them standing there looked quite threatening. Izuku admittedly felt timid before them.

“I should’ve known you’d end up in Hufflepuff,” he smirked. “At least my dad might be proud of you, but he’s one of the weakest men I’ve met so that’s hardly anything to brag about.”

“Masaru’s nice, though,” Izuku bowed his head slightly.

Katsuki blew out a derivative breath out through his nose. “That means nothing. I happened to pass by some of those weak-willed witless idiots on my way here and I couldn’t help but overhear that you’ve already lost House Points.”

Izuku flinched. “You heard, then?”

“Already letting down your house, Deku,” Katsuki stood before him, raising his chin to emphasise his four-inch advantage. “I always knew you’d make a useless and pathetic wizard. You should quit whilst nobody knows who you are.”

“That’s not true!” Ochako shot forward, unfazed that she was three inches shorter than Izuku’s rival (and yes, he reluctantly noticed she was taller than him). “Izuku’s a much better wizard than you!”

“And who are you?” Katsuki sneered.

“You don’t have to-” Izuku began, but Ochako cut him off.

“I’m Ochako and _I’m_ Izuku’s _friend_ ,” she said pointedly. “And on the train to Hogwarts, I learnt that he’ll make an absolutely fine wizard one day, no matter what _you_ think.”

“Who asked for your opinion, Round Face?” Katsuki scowled down at her.

“You with your terrible attitude,” she countered. “Tenya was right- Slytherins are _awful_!”

“That’s only something an inadequate witch would say,” the blonde let out a snarky laugh. “And a typical Gryffindor for shoving her massive nose in other people’s business.”

“I do _not_ have a massive nose and it _is_ my business,” Ochako remained determined. “Because you’re _bullying_ my friend.”

“You can’t even stand up for yourself, Deku!” Katsuki yelled over Ochako towards him. “You’re worse than I imagined.”

Izuku really wanted to reply with something incredible but the words refused to leave his mouth. He shrunk in on himself a little because Katsuki was right; he couldn’t defend himself.

“We have Potions to get to,” Katsuki shoved past Ochako unceremoniously. “See you later, Nerd Herd.”

The two other boys made a show of shouldering them, too, although Koji and Yuga were happy to step aside. Ochako’s lip curled in disgust as she turned to watch the Slytherin boys leave.

“What an awful boy,” she turned to Izuku. “How on Earth do you know him?”

“We grew up in the same neighbourhood,” Izuku twiddled his thumbs. “I used to think we were friends, but I think I was wrong.”

“Absolutely!” Ochako fumed. “He was so _horrible_ to you.”

“Why does he call you ‘Deku’?” Koji watched the Slytherins leaving with a nervous stare. “It doesn’t seem like it was a nice thing to say.”

“It’s an old nickname he gave me when we were a lot younger,” Izuku frowned. “I haven’t really thought about it much.”

“He uses it to _control_ you,” Ochako declared. “You need to _own_ it.”

Izuku wrinkled his nose. “What do you mean?”

“Make it into something that’s not an insult,” she beamed, her cheeks seeming rounder and pinker as she did so. “Make it into something that’s _you_. If you strip it of all it’s meaning, then you can make in both yours and inoffensive!”

“So call myself Deku?” he frowned.

“Precisely!” she grinned.

“But doesn’t it upset you?” Yuga looked at him, concerned.

“I guess so,” Izuku mulled it over.

Ochako stood before him, looking incredibly excited. Since it was her idea, it sounded a lot better to him than if he’d thought it up on his own. In fact, it appealed to him greatly because if Ochako wanted to call him ‘Deku’ then it definitely didn’t feel offensive.

“Alright,” he said. “From now on, I’m Deku. It’s quite a good nickname now that I think about it.”

“Hooray!” Ochako cheered. “You know, Deku is quite cute anyway, so I don’t think it’s _anything_ to be ashamed of.”

He rubbed his toe into the tiled ground. “Thanks, Ochako.”

“We’re friends!” she gleamed. “That’s what friends are for!”

“You don’t think it’s weak that I’m in Hufflepuff?” he glanced up at her.

“Not at all,” Ochako folded her arms. “The strongest thing you can do to others is be kind, because it’s always harder to be nice than it is to be mean. And I think you do a _brilliant_ job of it!”

“Even if we lost House Points today?” Yuga shared a glance with him.

“That Professor Aizawa was completely out of order,” she shook her head, short brain hair flicking around. “I think he’s Head of Slytherin, so I’m not entirely surprised by that. I’ll bet he tries to find any excuse to take away points from other Houses other than his own.”

“He gave Mashirao points, though,” Izuku, who was now Deku, said.

“Well, that’s because Mashirao’s very smart,” Ochako tried her hardest not to flinch. “He knows a lot about the Wizarding World and he made sure we did too before reaching that classroom.”

“Yo, Ochako!” the boy with dark hair from earlier was stood in the hallway with the blonde boy and pink-haired girl, Mina. “The dungeons are this way!”

“The _dungeons_?” Koji squeaked.

“Don’t worry, that’s where Potions classes are held,” Ochako grinned reassuringly at him, before her face fell with some consideration. “Oh, drat. That means I have Potions with _Slytherin_ next. Wish me luck. I’ll put that Katsuki in his place.”

“Thanks,” Deku smiled and he really felt he meant it.

As she bounded off to her housemates, Deku continued walking along their path to the Charms classroom.

“You changed your name quickly,” Yuga remarked. “Do you have a crush on that girl?”

Deku flushed. “It’s just a name.”

“I think she has a point, though,” the sparkly blonde continued. “Wearing your name will make you more confident in front of that Katsuki. Of course, I would call myself ‘Frenchie’ or ‘Frog’, but it doesn’t seem to have the same impact, and none of my primary school bullies are here.”

“Yuga works fine,” Koji said.

The three boys arrived at their Charms class a little early. They had spent time meandering the halls, memorising corridors and battling the moving staircases. Deku had been baffled at first and had clutched at the rails when the stairs had moved mid-walk, but they had arrived at their destination soon enough. The Charms Classroom was a lot warmer and inviting in comparison to the Defence Against the Dark Arts one. Natural light swept in through the windows and desks were neatly lined on either side of the classroom, practical and compact. There were also a lot of Ravenclaws already, so the three boys scooted across one row and sat beside a boy with curious white and red hair. Only once he was sat down did he spot Tenya across the room and the two shared a smile.

“Another one of your friends from the Hogwarts Express?” Yuga asked and he nodded.

As they settled into their seats and prepared their parchment and quills, the door opened just on time with the clock chiming their next lesson. Accompanied by footsteps, a man sharply announced, “ _creta scriberus_ ’. With fascination, Deku watched as words began to write themselves in chalk on the blackboard and the man took his post at the front of the classroom.

“Professor Hakamata,” he pointed at the board with his wand to where his name was, in fact, written. “ _Not_ to be confused with Professor Sakamata. Today, we’re going to start with learning one of the most basic spells: _lumos_.”


End file.
